Mistakes Worth Making
by brooke-ella1990
Summary: Prequel to my story WASTED. reading that is optional. Charlie and Hermione meet through awkward circumstances, fall in love and have things come between them, mainly Hermione's ex-boyfriend.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer I do not own Harry Potter, plain & simple: this is the last disclaimer for this story so memorize: I DO NOT OWN THIS, JUST POSSIBLY THE IDEA!

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"Hermione, seriously, it's a party for my brother, not a business meeting." Ginny whined as she watched her friend pull shirt after shirt to match with a skirt or trousers.

"I know, I know. I just want to look nice." Hermione's face held the slightest touch of distress.

"I suggest you wear the spring green dress with the darker half jacket, it really brings out your eyes."

"I guess, but I look bloated in it."

"No, you don't. Now stop, and put them on." The clothes floated out of the closet and drifted over to the bed were they settle.

With slight trepidation she picks up the dress, the soft cashmere brushes against her skin and she shivers, Ginny smiles and leaves the room with a slight bounce in her step.

"Put them on. I expect to see you downstairs in 10 minutes." With a laugh, Ginny left the room, and Hermione, alone.

Hermione begins her dressing ritual by tugging off her faded levis and the oversized sweater that kept the cool English wind from touching her skin, she shivered as the cooler air of the room rushed over her heated skin. Holding her hair in one hand and the dress in another, Hermione manages to get herself into the form fitting dress that stops just above her knees and brushes lightly over her legs. She looks at herself in the mirror and the smile that had graced her lips faded, the dress was simply designed with a v-neck that exposed the tops of her white breasts and long straight lines to her knees. A tie at the front that pulled tighter to accentuate her smooth graceful curves, contrary to what many people thought, she was a woman and could look like one if she wanted.

The mirror could tell no lies about her form, small pert breasts, a flat stomach with an average waist and gently flaring hips that slid into long white legs, she wasn't perfect but she wasn't unattractive either. The dress had thin sleeves of gossamer that were covered by the warm hunter green half jacket, the entire outfit brought out the deep chocolaty brown and lighter cinnamon color that flecked her eyes. Hermione let out a breath and smiled at the mirror, to her the smile appeared like a grimace, she closed her eyes a moment and took deep calming breaths. 'It's just a kid party, Hermione, chill.' Her hands shook for a moment as she opened the door and stepped out, closing the door behind her, she smiled to herself once more then made her way to the railing and looked over, Ron and Lavender where talking in the hall with Harry and Ginny. Hermione closed her eyes as memories of Michael wash over her, her friends were in love and all she could show for herself was an ex, Hermione tried to convince herself that Michael was a prick and quickly banished him from her mind.

"Hermione!" Ginny squeals. "You look great!"

"Yea." Ron grunts, smiling.

Hermione blushed and remembered that she was standing next to the railing staring at them, she laughs and walks down the stairs towards the group. Noncommittally she whispers her thank you and walks behind the group with Ginny into the dining room of the burrow, the rich heavy laughter of everyone in the room fills it.

"So where's this Michael we've been dying to meet?" Harry said.

The smile that Hermione had been wearing fell, Ginny noticed the sudden change in her emotional state and took her hand.

"We… broke up." She said loudly and tried to smile again.

"He doesn't deserve you anyway." Harry said with a sympathetic smile.

"Yea." She said and tried to forget Michael.

"Sorry for mentioning him."

"It's no problem."

"Okay that's enough! No more talking of depressing subjects."

Hermione smiled as Mrs. Weasley bustled through the crowd and kissed her cheek, she returned the hug wholeheartedly then stepped back so Mrs. Weasley could examine her.

"That dress looks delightful on you dear."

"Thank you."

Hermione smiled at the woman who could be considered her second mother, youth still radiated from the woman who stood with an almost regal bearing, flame red hair dusted with silver drew the eye but her warm, giving personality made her unique. Time didn't seem to touch her, her face was warm and hopeful with large brown eyes with tiny laugh lines around the edges; her complexion was creamy white with a tinge of red on her defined cheekbones. Molly Weasley wasn't a delicate woman by half; she was a robust woman with 7 children and a loving husband and controlled her family like a general.

"Charlie! What are you doing to the cake?! Keep your dirty little fingers off my cake! No!"

Hermione turned her head to see who Mrs. Weasley was yelling at, suddenly she found that she couldn't breathe, her chest felt like all the air had been forced out of her lungs, Molly had walked over to, in Hermione's estimation, a god. A tall, rugged looking man with a lighter shade of red hair was talking to her and laughing, his arms were bare and rippled with muscles, his hands were as large as sledgehammers but to her seemed gentle as they touched Molly's back.

"You know, he's probably going to notice if you keep staring at him."

"What?" Hermione couldn't take her eyes off of him.

"Hermione…"

Hermione wasn't listening anymore because she suddenly noticed that Molly was pointing at her and talking to the man.

"It's Charlie." Ginny said in her ear.

"Huh?"

"Charlie."

"Really?" Hermione looked away from the god and looked at Ginny.

"Yea."

"Wow."

"That's all you can say?"

Hermione couldn't say anything at all, she was looking at Charlie again, now he was talking to Molly again and looking at her, 'Oh my god, he's looking at me.' His eyes were a warm brown as they looked into hers, fire spread through her body as his eyes drifted to her breasts, her nipples tingled and hardened to diamond points. Embarrassment flooded her body, her palms began to sweat and her heart started to pound against her ribcage, she averted her eyes instantly and turned back to Ginny.

"He's looking at you." She said, smiling.

"Is not!"

"Oh, babe, yes he is."

Blood raced to her face and flushed it red.

"He's coming over here."

"Uh… uh….." Hermione stuttered and fiddled with the pleats in her skirt.

"Here he comes."

She looked around for an exit, anyway to escape the imminent embarrassment; she could find no way to gracefully leave Ginny's company or this party without seeming rude.

"Hello." A thick baroque called to her, the voice made her body respond instantly.

She turned and smiled brightly at him. "Hi, my name's Hermione." Nervousness tinged her voice.

"Charlie." She could felt herself melting.

"Weasley?" she laughed.

"How could you tell?" he asked, laughing with her. "I was just noticing you over there, you're an attractive woman if I do say so myself."

"How…. blunt and flattering, but I'm in a relationship."

"I'm sorry?" he looked confused.

"Uh…." 'Think, Hermione, think.' She thought to herself. "Never mind."

Hermione turned around and walked away, her embarrassment complete.

_Charlie_

Charlie wondered for a moment what he had said that had made her walk away, he didn't dwell on it however, mostly because this was his party and his girlfriend was currently in the hospital. He shouldn't be thinking about sexy brunettes with legs that went on forever and how her slinky dress moved over her hips, yes, she was a very attractive woman. He should be turned off by the fact that she was book smart with a boyfriend… or girlfriend he thought with trepidation though she didn't like the kind of woman who would enjoy another woman's company. Hermione Granger. Interesting.

"C'mon, Charlie! They're serving gin and tonics at the bar!" Ron cried from somewhere behind him.

"Yea, I'm coming." But somehow he just couldn't take his eyes off of her.

When Charlie finally took his eyes away from her he was smiling his signature sexy smile and walked up to the bar, sitting on one of the many stools that his parents had set up for his 27th.

"Scotch, neat." He said in a smooth voice.

A drink in a crystal tumbler appeared before him, amber liquid glinted inside the small container as he brought it close to his lips; just before it touched he took a deep inhalation. A slight spicy, warm scent wafted from the glass, satisfied Charlie took a drink feeling the warmth trail down his throat and curl in his stomach. Around him his friends patted him on the back and wished him a happy birthday, a woman at the end of the bar lifted green bedroom eyes to him and fluttered her long black lashes. Charlie smiled politely and lifted his glass as a salute then returned to his drink, which was now empty, he signaled the bartender for another and began talking to Ron and Harry.

Three hours went by in a blink, he heard laughter all around him, especially one particular witch who was plaguing his mind, he looked around but couldn't see her. The party was still going strong, no matter that most of the guests were now raving drunk and the cake had been demolished in a matter of seconds. Even his mother was slightly tipsy on the champagne she had been drinking for a good part of the night.

"You're really cute, do you know that?" a woman behind him said.

"So I've been told."

Charlie was surprised to find Hermione Granger was the one who had spoken; even in his drunken stupor he could see that she was beautiful. He took her hand suddenly, without provocation and brought it to his lips, her skin was silky smooth and slightly cold.

"Are you cold?" he asked her.

"Not really, just a little chilly."

"Come with me." He said suddenly.

"Where are we going?"

"Upstairs."

"Why?"

"Shhhh."

_Hermione_

Somehow, the both of them made it up the stairs to the top landing, tripping and giggling all the way up, Charlie pulled her close at stumbled towards his door. Hermione giggled and held on to his arm tight, not wanting to fall, when they made it to the door both of them stopped and stared at the door for a long moment. Charlie wrapped his long muscular arm around her to her opposite hip, resting his fingers on the soft swell of her waist.

"You are a wonderfully attractive woman." He declared.

"Thank you." She slurred and giggled.

Hermione's eyes strayed for a moment from his bright brown eyes to his lips, they were perfect with tiny creases and just the right shade of pink, a short gasp came from her lips when Charlie pulled her close so that both of his hands rested on her hips. Her breasts were crushed against the strong sinews of his chest, they tingled and hardened, flashes of sensation rushed through her body as he lips descended on hers and ravaged her mouth. Hermione closed her eyes and felt him shift so her back was up against the door, he touched his shoulders, steely strength strained beneath his thin black t-shirt, and instinctively she slid her arms up from his shoulders to encircle his neck.

With only a little pressure from his tongue and his fingers on her chin, she opened her mouth and felt his tongue sweep inside, a tiny moan fluttered up from her throat.

"Say yes." He whispered when they finally broke for air.

"Yes." She said on a breathy sigh.

"Say you want me."

"I want you."

In some part of her mind, Hermione knew that Michael never could have made her feel this way, this forbidden heat that drew Charlie and her together. They barely knew each other and yet she seemed to know him intimately, his hand slid down from her hips to her butt, with one hand he lifted her, using one arm as a shelf. With the other hand he fumbled with the door, it swung open and the both of them stumbled into the room, drunk and passion dazed. Charlie didn't stop kissing her until they both crashed onto the bed, then he lifted his head to give her a lazy smile and pulled off his t-shirt, revealing a strong, muscled chest. Hair arrowed from his long torso all the way down to the waistband of his jeans, when he had maneuvered so his shirt came off he laid back down on top of her, Hermione relished in the heat that sparked when their bodies touched.

Next came Hermione's jacket, Charlie slid it over her white shoulders and threw it away from the bed, in the dark he fumbled with the tiny white buttons on the back of her dress, each sliding out of it's hole slowly until the back of her dress was open wide. He slid one hand into the V created by the opening in her dress and touched her silky back, he groaned at the simple contact of flesh to flesh.

"Wait. Wait!" she cried.

"Too late." He said quietly.

"Oh God…. more…. Please….wait…."

"Babe, it's too late." He echoed, she heard the rasp of his zipper.

"More, Charlie, more." She moaned as he yanked the straps of her dress over her shoulders, her breasts were clad in a white lacy bra that shimmered in the moonlight.

"I'm gonna owe you for this one." He said quietly just before ripping the front of her bra and throwing that along with her jacket and his shirt.

"More." She moaned.

His mouth searched for hers as he leaned forward, catching one breast in his hand, Hermione arched off the bed as his thumb and index finger clamped around her nipple. His tongue ravished her mouth slowly as his fingers kneaded her soft but firm breast, tiny moans and whimpers bubbled up in her throat. Reluctantly Charlie pulled away from her and stood up, her eyes reflected her confusion, he smiled and pulled down his jeans and boxers, her eyes widen in reaction to his erection. He smiled and leaned over, whispering in her ear and pulling the dress down over her waist and legs, in the moonlight that sliced through his window he saw her milky white breasts, his eyes trailed over her body, touching on her flat stomach and long white legs. A small patch of white lace covered her womanhood, her warm sensual scent drifted up to him and he couldn't help but pull her underwear off as well.

They were both naked now, her soft feminine body pitted against his hard masculine one, he laid back down on top of her gently, crushing her to the bed. His mouth caught hers as his hands trailed over her body pausing on her thigh before sinking between their bodies and touching her most sensitive part. Her hips shot off

the bed and began grinding against his, he smiled a arrogant smile and began to rotate his fingers. Hermione moaned and arched.

"You're ready for me."

"I can't wait anymore, Charlie. You're driving me crazy."

"Babe, it's only the beginning."

He settled his lower body between her thighs, lifting her knees so that he was cradled in the valley of her body. Hermione tossed her head back and forth, captured in her orgasm until with one touch Charlie sent her over the edge, pleasure racked her body with tremors. She felt sated and satisfied but she couldn't help but feel frustrated, her hands fluttered over his chest and reached around to his back, he kissed her throat sliding down to her collarbone and placing a kiss in the hollow, her pulse raced against his lips.

Suddenly Hermione felt a stretching sensation between her legs and knew that he was entering her, she arched again, her body already racing with pleasure. With one thrust he was buried to hilt inside of her body, he stopped for a moment, using all of his self control to wait until she was ready. Charlie looked down at her, her eyes were open and full of passionate desire, he felt her arch and grind against him.

"Wait, just wait." He ground out.

"Please, Charlie."

"I don't want to hurt you."

"Hurry, please."

Charlie ground his teeth and withdrew to the tip before surging into her body once more, her inner muscles began to convulse around him, he was buried deep inside of her body moving at a steady rhythm that drove her crazy beneath him. Once again she climaxed, arching and screaming her pleasure, several moments later Charlie joined her, speeding his thrusts and poured himself into her. Almost immediately they fell asleep, Charlie on top of Hermione.

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Author's Notes:

-This is a prequel to Wasted .

-hope you like.. and review. NO FLAMES!


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: So this is the new chapter. The smut is over for a while. It will come back, eventually.**

Chapter Two

Hermione felt the sunlight pressing on her eyes before she opened them. She opened them and the gentle sunlight pounded like hammers on her brain. Now that she thought about it, she hurt, a lot.

"Fuck, what happened last night?" She mumbled to herself. With effort she moved her arms to massage her temples.

Well, Hermione looked around wondering where the hell she was, because she obviously wasn't in her own room. Her room was very clean and organized, this room, however, had clothes everywhere. She leaned off the bed to examine a shoe that looked strangely like her own. That was weird, she said running a hand over a dress that looked familiar as well.

The sheet slipped off of her body and she realized she was naked. She was naked in a stranger's bed.

"What the fuck happened?" she asked more to herself than anyone, because nobody else was in the room. Although, she already knew, she had had sex last night. She felt it. A woman knows; it hadn't been rape, it had been consensual.

She reached behind her head to tie her hair into a ponytail, Hermione had it up to her head and she was preparing to tie it, when somebody entered the room.

Hermione squeaked when she saw the man entering the room, she released the hair she was tying back. The man entering the room was tall, red haired, a bit freckled and buff, and only wearing a towel.

"Charlie Weasley?" she asked, hoping it wasn't true. She hadn't just had sex with Charlie Weasley.

"Hey, you're up." He said.

"Oh god." Hermione moaned throwing her head into her hands.

"Something wrong?"

"Yes, I just had a one night stand." Hermione exclaimed, slightly annoyed. Couldn't Charlie see the problem with this situation?

"Yeah." Charlie nodded, pulling on a shirt.

"Where the hell am I?" she asked.

"My old room. The Burrow." Charlie said.

"Oh my god. Don't you have a bedroom, like right next to your parents room?" Hermione groaned.

"Yeah, so?"

"Oh my god, Charlie, don't you see I just had sex with their son in a room right next to theirs, I'll never be able to look at them without feeling guilty." Hermione told him.

"Guilty? Hermione, I'm fine with this, they were still at my party downstairs and this room is soundproof. Has been for years." Charlie said suggestively

"Oh my god!!!" Hermione said, she grabbed the sheet and wrapped it around herself before she got up. "I have to go!"  
"Well you can't leave like that. I think everybody will be suspicious of your activities, if you go dressed like that." Charlie wiggled his eyebrows, and Hermione watched his eyes flick up and down. Hermione didn't need to look down at herself to know that this was a very thin sheet. She slapped him hard across the face, before running around to gather her clothes from his floor.

Hermione used a switching spell for her clothes and hurried to the bathroom to use the shower. On the way, grabbing towels from the linen closet. She knocked on the bathroom door.

"What?" a female voice said. Hermione recognized the voice.

"Ginny, it's Hermione!"

"Get in here!" Ginny said, holding the door open for Hermione to enter. "Where'd you go last night? I looked for you at the party, but I couldn't find you." Hermione doubted this, last time she had seen Ginny last night she had been piss drunk.

"Ginny, do you promise not to scream or do anything?" Hermione whispered urgently.

"Yes, I promise."

"I slept with Charlie, last night." Hermione said. Ginny's eyes widened and she shrieked: "OH MY GOD!"

"Ginny!" Hermione hissed, angrily. "You said you wouldn't scream!"

"That was before I knew what it was! Oh god." Ginny exclaimed.

"Ginny I have to shower, I feel gross. Can you leave?" Hermione pushes Ginny from the bathroom.

Ginny rolls her eyes, "make sure to come down in a different outfit." She mumbles through the door.

Hermione arrives in the kitchen wearing a pair of Ginny's baggy sweatpants, and an Oxford University shirt that Mr. and Mrs. Granger had gotten for Hermione before she had gotten into Hogwarts, years ago. She had left the shirt at Ginny's flat last time they had a girl's night while Harry was out of town on some business trip

She looks around at the other people at the kitchen table. Most of them are very hung over. Hermione thinks it amazing that some of them even made it downstairs.

"Hangover potion" Molly says passing around glasses filled to the brim with gray-green potion that is foamy and doesn't look very appetizing.

Hermione is hung over, but not dead hung over like some other people. She drank a lot. But she didn't have bad hangovers; it was a Granger family thing. But she still made it a habit not to drink a lot. Which tended to lead to One-Night Stands. Such as the one she just had and the one where she lost her virginity. She grabs a glass and drinks the whole thing. It makes her throat sting, but it clears her head immediately.

George Weasley takes one sip and instantly brightens, then frowns at the hideous taste. Meanwhile Fred Weasley, his twin is refusing to drink it on the reason that it looks nasty.

"You must drink it." Molly says disapprovingly to Fred. He pulls a face and drinks deeply.

"What's for breakfast?" Hermione says, after hangovers, she's always hungry.

"Scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage and toast." Mrs. Weasley says levitating some platters over to the table. She piles on the eggs and several pieces of toast. She is in the middle of buttering a piece of toast when Charlie arrives downstairs. Hermione drops her knife and turns red, nobody notices but Charlie. Hermione avoids his eyes.

After finishing her breakfast, Hermione gets up. Says goodbye to everybody as she grabs some floo powder and steps into the fireplace. She yells out "Hermione's!" and she vanishes from the Weasley's view and seconds later appears in her home.

"Ah, home."

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	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

At St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. Hermione Jean Granger was a Healer in high demand. She was well known as one of the best healers St. Mungo's had ever seen.

Hermione wore her lime green robe and her emblem of crossed wand and bone proudly. She was finally a healer. It had been her dream to do something important for a long time. As soon as she had that meeting with McGonagall in 5th year, she had known that's what she was aiming for.

"Ms. Bentley, your wound is healing quite nicely. We're going to give you some potion to prevent infection. Mediwitch Dunn will bring that up sometime today." Said Hermione putting the clipboard back in the tray, and she walked out of the room her high heels making a sharp clip on the tile floor.

"Hello, Emily. Any messages for me?" she asked the blonde welcome witch as she passed.

"Carrie just called, she wants to see you in her office." Emily said looking at a yellow pad of paper.

"When?" Hermione squeaked. She seemed to be doing that a lot lately, squeaking.

"Right now." Emily reads.

"Ah!!" Hermione moaned, "Emily, got to go, I'll meet you for coffee later." She waved her hand to Emily as Hermione hurried to see her boss.

"Mrs. Worley? May I come in?" Hermione knocked on the door of her boss's office.

"Ms. Granger. Please come in." Carrie Worley said, it was a perfectly friendly tone, but to Hermione it sounded ominous.

"Ms. Granger, you may have heard that I'm retiring in a few weeks."

"No, I hadn't heard." Hermione lied, of course she had heard all the healers were in vicious competition for the position Carrie Worley held.

"Well, Ms. Granger, I'm retiring. And I'm strongly considering promoting you to my position. You are one of the brightest young healers I've ever had the pleasure of working with." Hermione's mouth fell open. When she realized how inappropriate she was acting in the presence of her boss, she snapped her mouth shut.

"Do you have anything to say, Ms. Granger?" Carrie said, folding her hands across her desk, and smiling.

"N-no. I don't, except for thank you. Thank you for considering m-me" Hermione stuttered uncharacteristically.

"Now, go continue your shift, but take this application." Carrie said waving her wand and a sheet of parchment appeared in Hermione's hand. Hermione folded it and put the application in the pocket of her robes.

She went to another patient's room, a woman who looked like Hermione had when she had taken the Polyjuice Potion in her 2nd year. Her fur was thinning out on her face, and the eyes were slowing forming back to their regular shape. "Mrs. Connor, you're progressing very nicely." Hermione told her. Mrs. Connor meowed in response.

Hermione walked around, checked on more patients, went through emergency procedures with a heart attack. By now her feet were hurting and she desperately wanted coffee. She still had to check on Becky Bentley, to make sure the medi-witch had delivered the potion, Hermione had prescribed. She came into the room to find a surprising guest sitting right next to the bed. Charlie Weasley.

"Hello, Becky, how are you? Did mediwitch Dunn bring up the prescription?"

Becky Bentley nodded. Somehow the nodding led Hermione to Becky's hand, which was grasping Charlie's in a suspiciously "boyfriend/girlfriend" type of way.

"Great. Now if you'll excuse me, I need some caffeine, immediately." Hermione said, walking out of the room and hurrying up to the Tea Room on the fifth floor.

She purchased some coffee and was happily drinking it, feeling the warmth flow through her. She was finally calm, to think about her possible promotion. She wasn't going to tell a soul, except for her parents.

"Hermione, we have to talk." Hermione gagged on some of her coffee.

"Hey, Charlie." She said once she had settled her coffee. "So, last night…"

"Never happened." He supplied.

"Exactly." She agreed.

"Because I would hate for Becky to find out about us. I've hurt her before, but I don't want to hurt her again." Charlie said, he sounded really sappy. Hermione noted with a slight smile.

"Is she the one?" Hermione asked.

"I think so." Charlie said in reply. "Do you have 'the one?'" yet?

"No. Not anymore." Hermione said wistfully.

"Do tell." Charlie said.

"His name is Michael Desmond, he's the son of my mother's best friend. We've been dancing around each other for years. We finally started dating about a couple of years ago. And I really thought we were happy, but then he leaves. I don't really want to explain why." Charlie pulled a face.

"That's rough."

"I know." Hermione moaned miserably, folding her legs onto her chair. "That was about three weeks ago." She adds on.

"So last night was…"

"My rebound, and Charlie I'm utterly disinterested in you right now."

"Alright." Charlie smiled. "I've got to say goodbye to Becky before I go to work."

"Ok, buhbye." Hermione unintentionally clipped. Charlie made the slightest head movement, waved goodbye and walked out of the Tea Room.

Emily, appeared in the doorway, "hey, whatsup?" she asked Hermione.

"Sorry, I've had a really interesting day." Hermione told Emily apologetically.

"What happened and who was that guy?" Emily gushed. "Let me get coffee, then you will talk." Hermione smiled.

Emily was fresh out of an American school. Salem Academy for Young Witches and Wizards. When Hermione and Emily had first met, Emily had hastily explained her light accent. She was British/American. Her parents had a nasty divorce and lived on separate continents, her mother resided in London, and her father called Salem, Massachusetts, his home.

Emily arrived back at the table with coffee and two chocolate frosted donuts.

"You're a lifesaver." Hermione smiled.

"Who said that one was for you? No I'm totally kidding. Take it." Emily had the tendency to answer questions she asked herself. It was kind of an annoying habit she had, but Hermione was too used to it by now.

"So, Hermione, spill. Who was that guy?" Emily asked taking a bite of donut. "Oh, Boston Crème." She said when vanilla filling slopped out of the donut.

"That was Charlie Weasley." Hermione looked around, "we had a one-night stand last night."

"Really!" Emily gasped "Hermione Granger has one night stands!?" Hermione laughed at Emily's reaction.

"I mean, you are always so level headed and stuff, I can't see you having a one-night stand."

"Me neither."

"So was he good?" Emily prodded, hoping for good gossip.

"Um, he was nice." Hermione was unsure how to answer.

Emily laughed. "Sweetie, they are all nice, well except for some."

"That reminds me, how'd your date go?" Hermione asked.

"He was gorgeous, amazing body, huge package, nice personality. But I wasn't into it."

"…???…"

"I mean, on paper he's the ideal guy, but in bed, I mean, he tried too hard." Emily continued.

Hermione took a sip of her coffee, now lukewarm and not as good. She frowned at the taste, but she saw Carrie walk by and her expression flipped and turned into a smile.

"What's with that smile?" Emily says.

"Emily, I'm swearing you to secrecy."

"Ok, why?"

"Carrie wants to promote me to her position! She gave me an application and everything!!!"

"No fucking way! Hermione that's AWESOME!!" Emily was so happy for Hermione. Hermione stayed silent as she saw Carrie come up behind Emily.

"Ms. Granger, Ms. Garmin what are you still doing here, your shifts ended a while ago." Carrie Worley said from Emily's shoulder.

"We've clocked out." Emily said.

"Ms. Granger? Why are you still clocked in?"

"Oh, shit. I've been here for about half an hour." Hermione said grabbing her donut waving goodbye to Emily and Carrie and running toward the employee break room. Hermione felt so bad about her accidental overtime, she deducted a whole hour from her hours today.

She walked to the Apparition zone in the lobby and Disapparated. She landed in her walk-in closet, her designated spot for when she apparates. Hermione had an anti-Apparition charms. The people would be surprised by the splinching charm she had set up for her unwelcome Apparition visitors.

She kicked off her high heels and walked down to the kitchen. Hermione sat down at her kitchen, she unfolded her application and started filling it out

Name: _Hermione Jane Granger, _DOB_: 19 Sept 79, _Qualifications: _completed 7 years at Hogwarts, 10 O.W.L.s, two years additional healer training, one year mediwitch, one year healer. _References: _Minerva McGonagall-, Transfiguration Professor, Hogwarts School; Molly Weasley family friend; Filius Flitwick- Charms Professor, Hogwarts School; Horace Slughorn- Potions Professor, Hogwarts School. _

As Hermione looked upon her list of references and her application in general; she felt extremely lonely.

She picked up the telephone. Hermione dialed the number she knew so well and waited for someone to answer "hello."

"Hello. Hello? Is anybody there?" Michael's voice was irritated. "Hermione! Stop calling me!" She hung up.

Hermione felt like crying and slapping herself. Why had she just called Michael? She was rubbing salt in her wounds. Hermione sent an owl to Harry and Ginny's flat.

_Ginny, I just fucked up. I called Michael. _Hermione couldn't think of what else to write so she signed her name _Hermione _and sent the letter off to their flat.

Though it was a few minutes, it felt almost instantaneous to Hermione, she heard knocking on the door, "Hermione, it's Ginny." Ginny called through the door. Hermione magicked the door open from where she sat. Ginny rushed in and hugged Hermione.

They sat and ate ice cream, Ben & Jerry's Phish food. Ginny rubbed Hermione's back while they talked. And then Hermione felt asleep on the couch. Ginny laid her down on the couch and went to the loveseat, curled up and went to sleep also.

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**Author's Notes:**

**-So this was written before HP 7, stuff in book seven will not change my story.**

**-I'm never sure how to spell apparation, so it's always spelled differently. Etc.**

**-sorry if something is inconsistent with another thing, I'm kind of tired, I will most likely fix it later.**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Hermione woke up and for the second day in a row, she couldn't figure out where the hell she was. She sat up, rubbed her eyes and looked around. Oh. Yeah, she was at her house, the one that her grandfather left her when he died. She was sitting on her couch. She twisted around and heard her back crack.

"Breakfast." She grumbled to herself. She went into the kitchen. Hermione was cracking some eggs when she saw the man on her couch. Holding back her urge to shriek. She went over to the couch, holding an egg as a defense. Hermione realized this was completely retarded but she continued on anyway.

She was nearly upon her couch when she saw the familiar red hair, muscles and facial features of Charlie Weasley.

"What are you doing here?" She demanded of Charlie, after she shook him awake. He blinked at her blearily.

"Ginny had to leave, she forced me to come here, so you wouldn't be alone." He said.

"Fantastic." Hermione said sarcastically. "Do you want some breakfast?"

"Yeah." Charlie responded, rubbing his eyes.

"You have a beautiful house." Charlie remarked.

"Thanks, it was my grandparents house, my grandpa left it to me." Hermione said placing strips of bacon on a cast-iron frying pan. Immediately the smell filled the air, and the crackly noise of the bacon cooking made the silence between them seem less like a silence and more like a pause in conversation.

Hermione scrambled the eggs and then divided them between them. Then she turned her attention to the bacon.

"So how's Becky?" Hermione asked him.

"She's good, but I should be asking you that question." Charlie says.

"Becky's recuperating nicely. A dragon injury, I wonder how that happened." Hermione mocks, in a friendly manner.

"Well, I was taking her to visit the reserve and we sort of… ahem… got distracted and then before we know it she's bleeding a lot and Becky's being rushed to the hospital." His voice fades out after a while.

"You really love her don't you?"

"Yeah, I suppose." Charlie says munching on bacon he snagged from Hermione's plate. During their conversation she has been plating the food.

"Hey what's this?" Charlie gets up to walk around he sees the application.

"My boss wants me to take over her position." Hermione says sheepishly.

"Hermione, that's fantastic!" he cheers.

"I know!" Hermione screams. She starts jumping up and down, she feels so exuberant by the mention of her possible promotion.

Hermione has stopped jumping long enough to wolf down her eggs and bacon. "I really need to shower. Watch the TV if you want." She says, pointing to the wall where a flat screen TV is mounted.

"That's my dad's personal touch. He loves watching his football on the big screen." Hermione says smiling at the memory; of when her father arrived at the door with the TV with a smile and said: _your housewarming gift, bud_.

"TV?" Charlie asks.

"Television, right I forgot you're a wizard. This is a remote control, it turns it on and you watch it." Hermione says tossing the remote over to Charlie, who with Quidditch quick reflexes catches the remote.

Hermione hurries upstairs and gasps at the face in the mirror; her hair is tangled and a rat's nest (for lack of better adjectives to describe the horribleness), her eyes are puffy, and the eyeliner has smudged, raccoon eyes. Her nose is red, which happens to her if she cries too much. Mascara streaks down her cheeks. "Oh my god. I'm hideous." Hermione steps into the shower and feels the cold water trickle over her skin. She rubs her face roughly with the loofah and shampoos her hair after using a number of detangling spells she learned from Lavender during their 7th year.

She slips into a pair of jeans and a blue cashmere sweater with belled sleeves. Hermione goes back downstairs to find Charlie sleeping on the sofa. She sees the chance as a bit of fun. She sneaks over to the couch and pushes him off the couch.

By the time Charlie is realizing that he's on the floor, Hermione has silently ran back to the stairs and is pretending that she is just coming downstairs

"Oohf" Charlie says standing up.

"What happened?" Hermione asks.

"Musta rolled over in my sleep." Charlie concludes. "Where are you going?" he asks.

"No where. I'm on-call today, so I'm here. Or going to be free labor for my parents at their dentistry practice."

"Ok, cos I have to work." Charlie said holding out his hand for Hermione to shake. They shake. And he goes to Disapparate.

"Charlie! Don't!" Hermione exclaims, suddenly.

"Don't what, go to work, leave?"

"Apparate, unless you want to splinch your legs off."

"I think I'll save that for another day. Where can I safely disapparate from your house."

"My closet and my back porch. How about you use the back porch?" Hermione smiles as she leads him toward the back of the house.

"I'll talk to you later, Hermione Granger." Charlie says charmingly then he disappears.

Hermione slips the Protean charmed coin into her pocket it heats up when she's needed at the hospital.

But first she grabs her application and she apparates to Carrie Worley's office at St. Mungo's to drop off the application.

"Impressive, Hermione, you're the first to return the application." Carrie smiles and shoos Hermione from her office.

"Hey Emily."

"Hey Hermione. How come you're here, you don't have a shift today." Emily asks.

"I'm on-call. Just dropping some stuff off. And now I'm gone." She shouts to Emily as she steps into the Apparition zone and disappears from the hospital, she lands in the storeroom of her parent's practice.

"Hello honey!" Hermione's mother, Jennifer chirps when Hermione walks into one of the cubicles. "I'd hug you, but we're doing a root canal here. Go find your father." Jennifer instructs.

"Hi Daddy!" Hermione says running up to her father and hugging him.

"Hi princess!" he exclaims. "Want to work? You have the best patience in organizing things than any of my other damn secretaries."

"Well, thank you. I'll be your receptionist as well."

"That's what I meant. Possibly." Dr. Granger says pointing at the mahogany desk and the smooth and supple leather chair where Hermione sits.

She works for hours without the coin heating up. Finally at the end of the day, she says goodbye to her parents and goes off to one of her other homes. The Burrow.

Molly likes to gather all the family together on Wednesdays and Sundays.

She sits between Ginny and Ron. Ron is paying more attention to his new girlfriend of the moment, the divorcee of Seamus Finnegan, Parvati Patil.

Everybody is well into the dessert, when Hermione notices that one member of the Weasleys isn't at the table.

"Hey, where's Charlie?" Hermione whispers to Ginny.

"He went back to Romania for a week and a half." She replies, carefully watching Hermione's reaction.

"I talked to him this morning, I can't believe he didn't tell me." Hermione huffs.

"Well, it was kind of sudden." Ginny replies.

Hermione and Ginny go up to Ginny's old room to have a bit of privacy while they girltalk.

"How's the Michael thing going?" Ginny asks hesitantly.

"Fine. Although I talked to his parents today. They work at my parent's practice. It was a bit awkward. I've decided not to call him anymore."

"Yay Hermione!" Ginny says enthusiastically. After all last night wasn't the first night Ginny had spent at Hermione's house after she had called Michael with bad results.

"Ouch!" Hermione says, digging out her hospital coin. "Shit, I have to go!" Hermione says taking out her wand and disapparating to the room for the emergency.

Hermione smashed onto the floor, and before she stood up she was nearly flattened by an approaching healer.

* * *

Author's Notes:

- please read & REVIEW!

-if you feel like it go read Wasted, the companion to this ficcy (it doenst really spoil anything except for the fact that i have a happy ending tendency and charlie & hermione end up together)

oxox brooke-ella1790


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Hermione was late, that was the first thing she noted when she saw about four other Healers tending to an unconscious Becky Bentley. Hermione stood at the back of the room as the other healers handled the emergency, she would have just been in the way otherwise. When Becky came to, she asked the question: "What happened?"

"You took that potion, today, right? Healer Granger prescribed it to you, didn't she?" a rival of Hermione's, Healer Carolyn Corman smirked discreetly as she looked at the charts.

"Yes, she did prescribe it for me. I took it about a couple of hours ago." Becky said.

"Well, Becky you went into anaphylactic shock, and we revived you with a shot of epinephrine and you are fine, now. We'll be conducting some tests to see what triggered your allergy attack." Healer Corman smiled, it was a fake smile. Everyone could tell. The smirk that she gave Hermione as she left the room, made Hermione recall the smirk that Draco Malfoy would give her whenever they were in each others presence.

All of the other Healers present in the room left to take care of their other patients. Hermione who wasn't on duty didn't have anywhere to go, so she flopped in a chair next to Becky's bed.

"Healer Granger, please don't tell Charlie about this. I don't want him to know."

"Of course." Hermione smiled.

"Why does Healer Corman hate you so much?" Becky asked.

"Honestly, I have no idea, but probably because we are both in a very competitive business and..." Hermione said trailing off.

"Hermione? What are you doing here, your shift isn't until tomorrow." Carrie Worley said as she came into the room.

"I got a page, and now I'm here talking with my patient." Hermione replied.

"Well, that's very nice of you. May I speak to you in the hallway Ms. Granger?"

"See you tomorrow, Ms. Bentley." Hermione said to her patient as she walked with Carrie Worley to the hallway.

"Ms. Granger, I owled some of your references, and I have never gotten higher references for a single person before. It is quite stunning, all the great things people have to say about you." Carrie Worley says. Hermione cannot say anything without the risk of sounding hugely egotistical and just says nothing.

"Now get out of here." Carrie smiles warmly; Hermione heeds her friendly order and leaves.

It was a dull week, Hermione thought. Her life seemed as though nothing odd had happened to her at all. She was spending time with Ginny; they were shopping (in Muggle London) for Harry's Christmas present (because Ginny didn't know what to get him), when Ginny in a would-be-casual way said "Charlie's back from Romania." Hermione's heart raced a bit and she turned red.

"Oh. Really?" she said with as much disinterest in her voice as she could muster.

"Yep, mum's having a dinner for him, she told me to invite you," Ginny said looking down at a pair of socks with interest.

"Oh, I don't think I can make it." Hermione said thinking she had the perfect excuse.

"I haven't said when it is yet." Ginny said eyeing Hermione with curiosity.

"Oh."

"When is it?" Hermione mumbled picking up a shirt and looked at the tag. "What about this." She said holding it out to Ginny.

"No" Ginny said blithely, not even looking at it. "It's tomorrow night."

"I have a shift tomorrow afternoon." Hermione said picking up a long pink skirt.

"Oh. Harry won't like that skirt. I'm afraid he's more of a trousers type of guy." Ginny deadpanned. Hermione blinked then laughed. They then wandered over to the women's section of the store where they found a long sleeved white lace crochet top. They paired this with a glittery blue camisole that Ginny insisted that Hermione try on with the crochet top. Hermione found an ankle length jean skirt with two slits, one on each side up to her knees. Hermione tried on this outfit and Ginny actually applauded. "And you can wear those Timmy Choo sandals you have!"

"Jimmy Choo." Hermione corrected gently. "Wear them where?" She asked checking the price tags.

"To Charlie's welcome home dinner. Duh. Hermione, keep up." Ginny said grabbing some stuff off of a rack near the changing rooms. She charged into an empty one to try on clothes.

"What do you think?" Ginny posed in a long sleeved short dress.

"No." Hermione said. It was cotton and low cut, "Ginny it makes you look like a prostitute."

"Maybe that's the look I was going for." Ginny says defiantly.

"A prostitute?"

"Fine, maybe not." Ginny huffs then goes back to change into her clothes.

"I'll be here."

"No, go buy that outfit." Ginny instructed.

So she did.

The next afternoon, during her shift, Hermione Granger was happy to announce that Becky Bentley had been discharged. Becky's mother came to get her and to escort her daughter home. Hermione couldn't help noticing the striking similarities between mother and daughter.

Both had dark blue eyes, wavy blonde hair, and pale porcelain skin. And they were tiny. Becky looks like a porcelain doll I had when I was little. Hermione thinks with a smile.

Both mother and daughter thank Hermione for her healing services and then they leave. She continues on with her docket of patients. A variety of bites, stings, and other wounds, none really distinguish themselves in Hermione's mind. She's busy thinking about tonight. In fact she's so busy thinking that she doesn't realize that its time for her to go.

"Shit!" she uses the hospital Floo system to get to her own house.

In a record making five minutes, she has changed her clothes, fixed her hair, and applied her makeup and was hurtling towards her fireplace. "THE BURROW!" she shrieked as she stepped into the fireplace and was swirled away to the Burrow.

She gets out of the fireplace to a kitchen full of Weasleys. Ginny stands up to hug her, (you look great!) Ginny whispers while they hug.

"Hello Hermione! How are things?" Charlie says.

"I'm fine, how are you?" Hermione replies looking at Charlie who is sitting in a chair next to Becky Bentley with his arm around her. Becky looks striking in an iridescent lavender cocktail dress. Becky has straightened her hair. Becky's white blonde looks beautiful next to Charlie's flaming red. Hermione feels her heart twinge a little; she dismisses the feeling and moves over to hug Ron.

"Cocktails!" Mrs. Weasley chirps. Fleur glares because they think she's pregnant and thus can't have the offered cocktails.

"Mum, since when have you been a drinker?" Charlie asks with a smile. Gladly accepting a glass.

"Becky, do you want a drink?" Mrs. Weasley says proffering the tray, which she has been carrying by hand.

"No, thank you, I don't drink. It's how my dad died." Becky says.

Hermione looks around at the Weasley's who have accepted drinks put them down with a slight look of guilt. She smiles to herself. That Becky sure knew how to kill a happy mood.

"Well, I think it's time for dinner." Mrs. Weasley says after a solid minute of silence has passed.

"Thank god!" Ginny whispers. "I'm hungry"

Hermione gives Ginny an odd look. Ginny smiles brightly in return.

They eat a lot. Molly has prepared chicken, garlic mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, stuffing, gravy. Hermione is strongly reminded of the American holiday Thanksgiving that her American cousins celebrated.  
"This reminds me of Thanksgiving." Hermione blurts.

Blank stares from all around the table.

"It's an American holiday where they sit and eat, I used to go to my cousins house for it." Hermione explains.

People half nod. Obviously pretending to understand. But they soon return to other topics. Bill and Fleur are discussing things privately. Fred, George, Charlie and Ron are passionately discussing Quidditch. Ginny and Harry discussed the Ministry of Magic and the person being promoted to Minister, Calliope Jordan Reichs.

Hermione simply observed the table; she for once didn't have anything to say. She thought Charlie was being way inconsiderate letting Becky just feel awkward in front of his family. But besides Becky's stint at St. Mungo's Hermione didn't know that much about her.

Hermione didn't know that, for instance, that Becky and Charlie were on the brink of breaking up. And almost every minute they spent together was agonizingly painful because they knew there was no chemistry but no one wanted to be the first to end it.

* * *

Author's Notes:

sorry for the lame ass chapter, its sort of a filler/plot builder :)

review, por favor ?


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Hermione spent a lot of her free time at her parent's house. The other times she wasn't busy she was drinking coffee with Charlie. Charlie would keep popping around to Hermione's place, they would drink coffee and talk. One evening Hermione asked about Quidditch, she knew that Charlie had been a seeker on the Gryffindor team, but she didn't know much else. They reminisced about the Quidditch World Cup they attended before Hermione's fourth year. She asked about Charlie's job, dragon keeping. Yesterday they had talked extensively about Hermione's life before Hogwarts. She soon considered Charlie to be one of her best friends.Hermione hated to say it, but she almost forgot about Becky Bentley and her Michael.

Michael was never far from her thoughts. She missed him. His laugh, his smile lighting up his eyes into a twinkle that was worthy of Dumbledore. But when she was with Charlie, she almost forgot about Michael.

She arrived home one day, from a hospital shift, she had already changed into her comfy jeans and a baggy Oxford shirt, to find an eagle owl sitting on her kitchen table. Without thinking about how it would have gotten in her house she pulled out the letter and read it quickly, without absorbing much of the contents. Hermione puts the letter down to start conjuring dinner, when the contents of the letter catch up to Hermione. The plate she has been levitating drops with a bang. "Oh, My, Gandalf!" she exclaims, the plate lay forgotten. The letter reads:

_Dear Ms. Hermione Granger, Congratulations! You have been accepted for the title of Head Healer. It has been a hard decision with a lot of thought. But I have decided that you are the best for the job. I look forward to speaking with you. Sincerely, Carrie Worley_

She screamed so loudly. She felt as though she would burst her own eardrums. Hermione apparated into the first place she could think of. Which happened to be Charlie's apartment in Diagon Alley.

"CHARLIE!" Hermione shrieked.

There was a crash and a loud "jesus christ"

"Hermione?" He said with a question. Hermione couldn't help but notice that he had come out of the bathroom, in a towel wrapped hastily around his waist, his hair was dripping wet. God, he was built. A six pack, and his arms were covered in various scars from his job. Hermione temporarily forgot her excitement. But remembered herself with a blush and started jumping up and down.

"I GOT THE JOB!!! I GOT THE JOB!!!" She shrieked.

"What job?" Charlie asked.

"The head healer at St. Mungo's!!"

"CONGRATULATIONS!" He hugged her. Hermione settled herself into his arms. Why did this feel so right? I love Michael. Michael. Michael, who….

Hermione sighed dreamily, and she leaned into Charlie's chest. She could feel his heart beat. Thump-thump, thump-thump.

Charlie wasn't even thinking about anything else. He was half naked, his hair was dripping onto Hermione's shirt. His heart was beating faster. This just felt so right. Charlie stroked Hermione's hair. Hermione looked up at Charlie, she wondered if he felt the same way she did, completely loved and safe. She got up on her tiptoes and gently kissed his lips. It was like nothing she ever felt before. Hermione hated to admit it, but honestly, she didn't remember the last time Michael's lips had made her feel tingly down to her toes. And bubbly, like when her parents poured champagne.

She felt him smile, then Hermione felt the flicker of his tongue across her lips, and she parted them slightly. Charlie had deepened the kiss, when a clunking noise and the flop of a newspaper on the floor caused her to pull away from Charlie.

Becky Bentley was standing at the door, looking embarrassed and shocked.

"You guys are busy, I'll come back later." Becky mumbled while she looked at the floor.

"No! It's ok, I'm just leaving now." Hermione insisted shaking her head as to clear her thoughts and disapparated.

_(((((HGCW))))) _

"Becky, I can explain." Charlie tried, feebly.

"Don't even try it, Charlie. I know exactly what that was." Becky said.

"Becky."

"Charlie, I know we've been going out for a long time now. That your mother was pushing you to get married. I know that I haven't been the one in your thoughts for a bit. It hurts me Charlie, that you didn't just tell me that you were unhappy."

"Becky. I wasn't unhappy" Charlie said, his voice softer.

"Charlie. I think we should stop seeing each other. In fact I think that you should go after her. She's something you only come across once." Becky's blue eyes were filling up with tears. "I think we'll always love each other, think fondly about each other every once and a while. You were my first love Charlie Weasley, I'll never forget you." Becky said, a single tear slipping from her left eye. She kissed his cheek and then Becky walked out of the apartment. Leaving the door open.

_(((((HGCW))))))) _

Of course Charlie didn't care about her. She was ugly. She was butt ugly compared to her. She was the Skipper to Becky's Barbie. Why would somebody choose Skipper over Barbie?

Suddenly her promotion didn't fill her with as much cheer as she thought it would. She apparated home. She pressed the button on the answer machine for messages. As usual her mother chirped into the phone "Hermione. Dear. How are you love? Daddy and I are fine. Going to a dental convention. We'll be back in a couple of days. We love you. I'll talk to you soon."

"Frick!" Hermione had forgotten about the dental convention, it had completely slipped her mind. Her message machine blinked at her. No other messages. Of course Michael wouldn't call. He hated her. He had called her a freak. Hermione started to cry, the tears had been building since Becky had interrupted the kiss.

Three Weeks Ago

"Mike? How do you like your steak? Rare, medium rare, cooked, burnt?"

"Medium rare." Mike had bellowed down the stairs. He was taking a shower. Hermione was making them a special dinner. It was their two-year anniversary of being together. She wanted everything to be perfect. And everything would be perfect, if it wasn't for that damn steak. She couldn't ever remember what way he liked it.

She peeked in the oven and saw a well done, sitting in a baking pan. "Frick!" she said. Hermione looked around cautiously, she pulled her wand from her sleeve to cast a spell to make the steak medium rare. She watched in interest as her steak went from brown to a red. In her slight ADD moment, Hermione had neglected to put her wand away. She was still holding it in-between her thumb and pointer finger on her left hand. She had a "deer-in-the-headlights" look about her.

"Fuck." Hermione swore.

"What were those sparks coming out of that meat? What's that wooden thing you're holding?" Hermione stiffened. She had just realized the enormity of her bad judgment whether it would be the statute of secrecy or some other charge they dug up, she would definitely be in trouble for this.

"Mikey, I want to explain something to you." Hermione said.

"What?!?!" Mike burst out anxiously.

"Mikey, I'm a witch. I can do magic and this is a wand." Hermione said calmly, trying to grab his hand.

"No, you're crazy! I don't believe you!" Mike bellowed, a sheer look of terror crossed onto his face when Hermione lifted her wand and said:

"Fine, I'll prove it to you." Hermione said. She waved her wand and with a loud popping noise a bouquet of flowers appeared in her hands. She put the flowers down.  
"No! No, this is an optical illusion. I'm dreaming, this is a very weird dream."

"No! it's not a dream. _Accio_ remote." She said, Mike whipped around to see the remote control flying across the family room, through the kitchen to land with a smack on the glass table where they sat now. Hermione reached out to grab his hand.

"Get away from me! You sorceress! You witch, you, you, you FREAK! Stay away from me! We're through!!" Michael yelled as he ran from the house.

Hermione was shocked. She felt like he had slapped her across the face. Although this slap hurt more than a physical slap.

For some reason, Hermione hadn't thought of the main way this would effect her life: Michael's leaving. It wasn't even occurring to her that he wouldn't like magic. Michael was a scientist. He was in college, he wanted to be a science professor, and the chosen scientific subject was undeclared. Hermione had always noticed that he was a firm believer in science, if something couldn't be proved by science he had a dislike for it.

Seeing Mike acting like that had triggered a distinct, (but long forgotten) memory of when she was eleven and had been accepted into Hogwarts. Michael had been fourteen or fifteen when she asked him. If he believed in magic. He gave her a look that only a teenage boy could pull off and in his most scornful voice he said "no."

Hermione had smarted at the harshness of his reply and had immediately clammed up and hadn't brought up the topic again.

Hermione went upstairs to her room in a haze, the next morning she wouldn't remember walking up to her room, she would however remember that she cried herself to sleep that night.

* * *

Author's Notes: 

-Hope this one was better than the last one, this one explained stuff.

-I was watching Scrubs best show ever! (so therefore my use of Elliot Reid's curse _frick)_, then Dirty Dancing, I was tempted to use the heartbeat scene (or the words) to that, but it didn't seem right.

-Anyway. You know the deal: not mine.

- oh and i was sick of 'oh merlin' so i threw in another famous wizard :-)


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

It was five days until Christmas. Hermione was trying to talk her parents into coming to her house for a little Christmas Eve party. Jennifer was the family hostess, the family always came over to Jennifer's house for any occasion. And Jennifer Granger enjoyed being a hostess and it wasn't something she was going to let go of easily. But she was going to have to.

"Mum! Come on! I want to have this party. It's my turn." Hermione exclaimed.

Jennifer knew she was fighting a losing battle; Hermione was as stubborn and hard headed as her daddy. She stuck to her arguments, and persuaded her points so perfectly. If she hadn't gone to Hogwarts, Hermione probably would have gone on to law school.

"Ok, sweet, I'll call the relatives and tell them to go to aunt Pearl's." Jennifer consents.

"Thank you!" Hermione chirped. She and her mother promptly began planning the party; leaving her father free to watch television.

The guest list turned out to be the entire Weasley family and her parents. Since the Weasley's were all wizards. (Wizards, who were mostly unwise to the Muggle world). It didn't seem wise to release the entire Granger family at a party with a group of wizards, who almost never dealt with Muggles on a regular basis.

Hermione threw herself into the party. Her free time? Yeah, she had almost no free time any more. Being Head Healer at St. Mungo's, and being much younger than anybody who also applied for the job didn't make her well liked.

"Hey Hermione. How are you?" Emily Garmin, (the blonde welcome witch) grinned at her busy busy friend.

"Howdy, Emily." Hermione said while she dug through her purse for her ringing cell phone.

"Howdy?" Emily asked questioningly.

"Sorry, my dad was watching a Western at my house yesterday."

"Oh." Emily said. She got up to do some filing.

"Hang on, gotta take this, it's my mum." Hermione said "Hi mum."

"Hello, I'm just at the grocery store, how many people am I buying for?" Jennifer asked. Hermione mentally counted the Weasley's, her parents.

"Hang on mum. Emily what are your plans for Christmas Eve?"

Emily looked thoughtful for a moment. "My dad's on holiday with a mistress in the Caribbean. And my mother, has a hoity toity party and she will probably not even notice that I'm not there." She trailed off.

"Want to come to my house, I'm having a little Christmas Eve party?"

"Sure." Emily says with a bright smile on her face.

"So mum, my friend Emily is coming and I say about twenty four people are going to come."

"Ok. I'll talk to you later sweetie." Jennifer says.

Hermione left her address and phone number with Emily, then she went home. To take a very good, long, satisfying nap.

* * *

The day before the party Jennifer and Hermione were rushing around anxiously cooking, cleaning, and doing else they could think of. Jennifer only got freaked out once when Hermione set a charm upon pastry bags full of frosting to self decorate the dozens of cookies they had made. 

The day of the party, Hermione and her mother were rushing around setting up the food in an appetizing way, when Molly Weasley appeared with several trays filled with goodies.

"Oh, Mrs. Weasley, you didn't have to!" Hermione exclaimed with an uncontrollable smile.

"You've seen Ron eat, haven't you?" Mrs. Weasley said. Hermione nodded in agreement "yeah, now multiply that by seven"

"Oh."

Mrs. Weasley smiled.

"Mrs. Weasley, this is my mother, Jennifer Jane Tyler-Granger, Mum, this is Mrs. Weasley." The two matriarchs shook hands.

"Hermione, dear, I'm going home to get your father then we'll be back." Jennifer said pecking her daughter on the cheek. And bit back a scream as the fire in the fireplace blazed green and two people stumbled through. Harry and Ginny Potter.

Emily arrived next. "Hey." She looked stunning in dark jeans and a red cashmere sweater. The red sweater set off her blonde hair nicely.

Soon everybody arrived and the party was in full swing. Her mother arrived about half an hour later and her father looked very unhappy to be stuffed into a dress shirt and tie.

The doorbell rang and Hermione answered it. Who was at the door was a complete shock. She leaned against the door in surprise

"Charlie... I didn't expect..." Hermione began.

"I know, I know. I probably shouldn't have come, but I couldn't resist."

"What are those?" Hermione points to the bouquet in his hands, wonder in her eyes.

"Well, I really didn't know what kind of flowers to get you, and I asked Ron but he's completely useless when it comes to giving a straight answer so I got you dragons..."

"Dragons?!"

"Snapdragons." Charlie supplies.

Stunned by his thoughtfulness Hermione smiles and backs up so that he can come inside, he steps inside, instantly dwarfing her doorway, when he holds the flowers out, nervously Hermione takes them and takes a deep breathe from the fuchsia blooms.

"I probably should have brought food."

"No. Your mother brought enough to feed an army."

"That's mum for you."

"Come in, please."

Charlie steps into the living room and is immediately assaulted by his many brothers and only sister, Hermione smiles sympathetically and strolls off towards the punch bowl, she couldn't believe he had given her flowers, especially with his girlfriend and all. Guiltily, she takes another sniff of the flowers before putting them in a vase and placing them in an honorary spot on the mantle, all smiles she turned back around, and right into Charlie's chest.

"You're not gonna get away that easily." he said, smiling brightly.

"I wasn't trying to escape." she retorted

"Sure you weren't."

An awkward silence ensued, neither could come up with the words to explain themselves, Charlie was the first to recover he looked up and stared into her brown eyes, reading the confusion and embarrassment in her eyes. He put out his arms and touched her shoulders lightly, squeezing them, scars rippled across his forearms and his hands were calloused as they touched her.

"Mistletoe." he said gently, still looking into her eyes.

"What?"

"You know the tradition right? I think it's a muggle one."

"Oh, mistletoe." above their head floated a bunch of the beautiful leaves.

"I'm going to kiss you now." he whispered softly

Hermione couldn't stop him, she had waited too long for his kiss, too long for his touch, she dreamt of it when she fell asleep at night, he leaned forward still watching her eyes, even as they hazed over with dreamy passion. Just as their lips were about to touch, the door to Hermione's living room flew open and there, outlined in light was the one she had waited on for so long, Michael Desmond. His eyes searched the room, he looked around at the faces that stared so intently at him, then they found Hermione's, Hermione flushed and tilted her head away from Michael. The hurt was still fresh.

"Hermione, who is that?" Charlie said.

"Michael." she whispered.

"Hermione!" Michael yelled.

In his hands were the most beautiful white irises she had ever seen, but somehow they didn't quite match up to the flowers Charlie had given her.

"Hermione! I'm glad I found you. I've missed you so much!" he was panting like he had run a mile. "I love you, Hermione!"

A collective gasp filled the room; silence followed his entreaty. "Hermione..." he said and took a deep breath. "I've missed you, and I'm so sorry that I hurt you. You told me what you were and I turned you away and for that I am forever sorry."

"Michael..." she sighed.

"Please Hermione, I need you so bad, it hurts. I've been such an idiot, letting you go. You were just trying to tell me the truth, trying to come clean about yourself and I hurt you. I'm sorry, Hermione. I love you."

"Don't say this unless you mean it." she warned.

"I mean it, every single word."

"Oh Mikey!" Hermione threw herself into his open arms, hugging him close, behind her she heard Charlie shift uncomfortably.

"Hermione, I never meant to reject you when you told me you were a witch, I was just... confused and a little upset. It was my mistake."

"Damn straight it was." Charlie mumbled loudly.

"Excuse me?" Michael questioned, an angry look was beginning to touch his features.

"I said damn straight it's your mistake."

"I'm going to ignore that." Michael huffed.

"Oh Mikey, do you mean it all?" Hermione interjected.

"Yes, Hermione. Will you marry me?"

Hermione was speechless.

"Obviously we'll have to work on you being a witch, I can't marry a woman that floats things around the room."

"Why?" Charlie nearly shouted.

"Well, I'm up for a permanent position at Oxford. If she does something I can't explain, I could lose the position."

"Excuse me?!" Charlie boomed.

Hermione lowered her head, she didn't want to lose Michael, now that she had gotten him back.

"How can you love her?"

"What?" Michael was close to yelling now.

"How could you possibly love her if you can't accept _all_ of her? She's a witch and better yet, she's the best damn witch around. She's smart and pretty and she's one of the best healers at St. Mungo's."

"What would you possibly know about our love? You love Becky so why the hell should you care about us?" Hermione interrupted angrily.

"I broke up with Becky and I don't think its love that Michael has for you."

"How the hell would you know? I slept with you once!" she yelled.

Everyone seemed to be staring at them. "You slept with my brother?" Ron said, shaking his head.

"Oh God. I can't believe I said that." Hermione closed her eyes in embarrassment.

"You slept with this guy?" Michael sounded outraged.

"Once, it was a... mistake." The words didn't feel right rolling off her tongue.

"Mistake? Mistake?! I can't believe that I was coming over here to ask you out."

"You were going to... to ask me out?" Hermione felt surprised and confused.

"If you think I'm such a mistake then I'm just gonna leave."

"No, Charlie!"

"Don't Hermione, it was just sex. A mistake." Charlie spat angrily, regurgitating the words back at Hermione. It hurt a lot. She looked away from him. Charlie left and slammed the door on his way out.

Michael thrust the irises into Hermione's hands, she stared at them as they changed, the petals of each flower turning crimson then blooming into a dozen roses, she stared at them even though she was thinking about Charlie. She wondered if she could ever make it up to him, because she was staring so intently at the roses in her hands she didn't notice the sneer on Michael's face when the flowers changed. But everyone else did, and everyone agreed with Charlie, Michael was not the one for Hermione. They wondered if it was too late to fix what was so obviously broken.

"Yes, Michael. I will marry you.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

**-duh duh duh**

**-It's midnight and a bug just flew up my nose. (what fun! not.)  
**

**- So I feel that this chapter would not have been at all possible if it wasn't for my friend TheCountess6680, my beta. Also my silent co-author. (She brought you the last half of this chapter, the first chapter and some coming attractions. Stay Tuned!) ****( )  
**

**- The deal with the roses is that Michael came to Harry and Ginny and told them that he wanted Hermione back, while initially unwilling to help, they agree because Michael is begging and they think he's the right guy for Hermione. Harry enchants the irises to change when Hermione holds them (Michael does not know about this)**

**-(you know, in case you were wondering) because I couldn't fit that into the scene  
**

**-also I swear that I will always try to make my stories grammatically correct, and with good spelling etc. because bad grammar sucks. And I was reading a badly edited story the other day and I swear it made me feel physically sick, if I hadn't liked the characters and plot so much, I would have flamed. So I swear that I will always try.**

**-ok, rant over. Now, see the purple button? Put it to good use and….**

**Review!**


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

The sunshine came through the blinds and left rays of light across his face. He looked so peaceful as he slept. His broad chest moving up and down with his rhythmic breathing, his dark hair hung in his face. Hermione reached out and with her slender fingers brushed the hair from his face.

She was back with her childhood crush, and adult lover Michael Desmond. She and Michael joyfully announced their engagement in a Muggle newspaper and they spent the day fielding calls from various relatives who had seen the Happy Ad.

The phone was ringing and she couldn't remember where Michael had put it. So she looked around the first floor of her house and summoned her phone.

"Accio ringing phone" she said clearly, waving her wand, and the phone zoomed out from under a pile of laundry. Why it was there was a complete mystery.

"Hello?" Hermione asked answering the phone.

"Is Hermione Granger there?"

"Speaking."

"It's Aunt Francie," the woman said anxiously. "Congratulations sweetie… no Johnny, NO!" she shrieked to her young son . "Hermione, I've got to call you back." Aunt Francie said and Hermione heard a sharp click and a dial tone. As a single mother to two young sons, Aunt Francie had very few phone conversations or moments to herself. Hermione executed a very good banishing charm and sent the receiver of the phone to nestle in its cradle.

"Hermione?" Michael asked. He had finally woken up "What was that?"

"A banishing charm, and a damn good one, I might add." She smiled, tucking her wand away.

"Hermione, magic kind of freaks me out, so I'd prefer it you didn't do it in the house."

"Michael, this is my house." Hermione said, casually. "I'll do magic whenever the hell I want."

Michael shrugged then went off to the bathroom to take a shower. Hermione was conjuring some of the laundry to hang itself up. Very handy, Hermione didn't miss the Muggle way of doing laundry. Not one bit.

Hermione went out of the room, instantly forgetting as she left the room that clothes were standing and moving of their own accord and neatly folding themselves once they got to the wardrobe. Michael's scream reminded her.

"Oops."

"HERMIONE!" He bellowed as he ran down the stairs, an army of clothes coming after him.

"FIX THIS!"

"Oops." She took out her wand and made a stabbing motion as though popping a balloon and the clothes flopped to the floor, lifeless.

"What was that?" He asked.

"Laundry, next time don't touch them, they don't like that."

"Hermione, it was a shirt that was moving and nothing was moving it!"

"Mikey, magic was moving it. Pancakes?" she said abruptly changing the topic.

"Sure." He sat at a barstool and watched as Hermione methodically added ingredients to the batter.

"Blueberries, blueberries." She chanted to herself. And then to Michael's shock, the freezer door popped open and a bag of blueberries floated out, bobbing in the air. Hermione caught them and sliced open the bag at the top to add them.

"Hermione, I bet you couldn't go one day without magic." Michael dared.

"Nope, I probably couldn't." Hermione replied, not even looking at Michael.

"You should try, accept my challenge I mean."

Hermione looked up from her pancakes on the griddle, "the stakes?"

"If you lose, no magic around the house."

"If I win. I have free reign with household magic. I can do it whenever and for whatever I feel like it."

"I have to go to work." Hermione said. She stood up and apparated to work.

Carrie Worley had shown her the ropes of Hermione's new gig yesterday. Hermione was in charge of assigning shifts, doing the budget reports for the hospital, and hiring new people. Essentially she did very little healing. She controlled the healing. Hermione was in a very important position and she would still interact with patients (sometimes). She was also in charge of hiring the Trainee Healers.

She went to her new office, formerly Carrie Worley's. A shining silver plate had been attached to the door. **Hermione Granger** had been carved in; she touched it hesitantly as though expecting it to disappear at her touch. She grasped the door handle and felt the knob move beneath her hand. The office was stripped of all personal effects. All that remained in the office was a desk, a ratty old spinning chair and a large unattractive gray filing cabinet.

Hermione was wondering what to put in the office when her cell phone buzzed annoyingly against her leg.

"Hermione." She said as she answered the phone.

"Hermione, it's mum." Jennifer said into the phone. Causing Hermione to think _I know who you are, mum. _

"Hi mum." Hermione chirped.

"How's the job?"

"Oh, it's ok, I haven't done anything yet." She looked around the office bored, her eyes flicked upon a manila folder labeled in loopy cursive _For Hermione_. "Mum, I gotta go. Call you back."

Hermione flipped open the folder and found a written note from Carrie.

_Hermione, good luck on your first day, I've finished the December Budget Report. In the 2__nd__ drawer of the filing cabinet are some applications for some new healers. We have only enough room in the budget to afford two new healers and a member of the Maintenance staff. Also work essentials that you purchase can be reimbursed. Remember the criteria is that only things that are required by the hospital to make you work better. _

_Sincerely, Carrie Anne Worley. _

Hermione went over to the cabinet and dug out the 2nd drawer. She grabbed a bundle of parchment applications, she sat on the desk and looked through the applications. Most of the applicants weren't up to chalk. She had in her hands a pile of worthless parchment.

Hermione decided that she needed to get some new furniture and make things more inviting. She transfigured her hideous office chair into a large and lovely leather chair office chair that resembled the one at her parent's dental practice. The desk while not beautiful, held some potential, she transfigured the desk into an oak desk with smooth drawers and slick silver colored handles. She nodded her approval at the desk. Then began seriously working.

After finishing the applications, she decided to take a round through the floors. Talk to her employees. She spent the rest of the day doing that and then apparated home, where she collapsed in her bed fully dressed

She was spending a ton of time planning her wedding to Michael. Hermione would spend hours sitting with her mother, his mother and Michael away at University communicating with them by text messaging. They scheduled the wedding for the Spring, after final exams, when Michael would have a few weeks off until the next semester.

June 15th was going to be the day of her wedding. They had booked a church, a reception hall and were looking for a catering company. Hermione was just beginning to think about her wedding dress, she hadn't decided on many details yet. But she did want the main colors to be a light blue and gray. She, Ginny, Emily and her cousin Alexandria were going dress shopping tomorrow, then going to eat lunch. Hermione was looking forward to it. It was going to be fun.

000

"So did you do good on the no-magic thing?" Michael asked, a few days after the bet had been made.

"I did fine. It was great. I needed magic for work, but no household magic here." Hermione said, lowering her book. She was lying, she hated every moment of consciously not using magic for things she had used for years. She smiled brilliantly and dog-eared a page before putting the book down. They made their way to the bedroom where she and Michael made love. Hermione couldn't help thinking of a red-haired man, but as Michael worked his best move on her, the face slid from her mind and all she could do was gasp and moan in pleasure.

---------------------

Author's Notes:

-I think that the head healer will be something like a Chief of Medicine in a regular hospital. (i.e. Bob Kelso in Scrubs)

-Trainee Healers are like Interns (J.D., Turk, Elliot season 1 & 2. Scrubs)

-Scrubs is on now so that is where I got my inspiration. hehehehe

-Please Review. I love that people like my story. I'm mostly grown-up so I can handle some constructive criticism. But don't be rude. That's just rude 

-This is the first ficcy I've really stuck with.

- much love to my beta TheCountess6680!!

- i have a new ficcy in my head. its posted under Simple Rules and i would really appreciate your honest opinions, its a 2nd gen HP. (soo it is HP 7 compliant) thank you very much :) 3 brooke-ella1790


	9. Chapter 9

(this is new, Charlie's perspective, well new in the sense that since the first chapter, but I had to put in some plot development or else I would get 'wtf?' reviews when I post one of the final chapters.)

----------------

Chapter 9

Charlie Weasley was trying to figure out everything. He was in love with a girl who didn't give a damn about him, yes he admitted it had only been a short time since he had actually really met her and first spoken to her. He had never pegged himself for a romantic, but maybe it was just that he finally met the right person. But then, again his right person was with somebody else and that just absolutely killed him inside.

He was staying with his parents, in his old room. Right now he was lying in his bed where he and her had first come together on that very momentous night. Even though he had been smashed at the timewhen he had woken up the next morning everything had felt right. She had looked so beautiful, sleeping, so peaceful and serene, her hair fanned out around her on the pillow, one lock of her brown hair tickling his nose.

"CHARLIE! YOU HAVE AN OFFICIAL LOOKING MESSAGE DOWN HERE!!" his mother yelled. He climbed out of bed and put on a shirt and jeans and hurried downstairs to read his mail.

A large owl, carried a large and official rolled letter. He unrolled it, a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach. He read the letter, time stopped as he read the letter, his breathe came in short spurts, the letter fell from his hands to the ground. There wasn't much time.

"Oh, fuck." Charlie swore and he disapparated quickly.

0 0 0

Something was wrong, Hermione could feel it when she woke up the next morning, she couldn't explain why or how but something was dreadfully wrong, Hermione shivered as though this could dispel the strange feeling. She couldn't miss work though, not even for a strange intuitional feeling,she was one hundred percent dedicated to her job. Michael, who didn't have a class until four, was still sleeping soundly.

Michael himself was a solid sleeper, he didn't even stir when Hermione slid off the bed and grabbed her robe to cover herself, or later when she dropped the shampoo bottle of her toe and cursed loudly, or even later when she had bumped into the side table in the front hall, knocking various objects onto the floor. In fact he didn't move at all. He just was lying on the bed, a sheet covering his lower half and a pool of blankets around his feet.

Finally he stirs as Hermione dresses in her lime green St. Mungo's robes and grabs her purse, slinging it over her shoulder.

"What are you wearing?" Michael mumbles, his eyes barely open.

"My work uniform, go back to bed." Hermione says blowing him a kiss and then going to her closet to apparate to work.

0 0 0

"Hello, Emily."

"Ms. Granger..." Emily says "...here are your messages that arrived by owl." Emily says casting a accio charm and a bundle of rolled letters zooms toward her hand.

"Thank you. Meet you for coffee at four?"

"I'm not off 'til seven, we'll grab some pizza and rent a movie, kay_?" _Emily replies, then after a moment. "Wait, shouldn't you be going out with Michael tonight?" Emily waggled her eyebrows in suggestion.

"I don't want to. And Michael has a late Friday class."

"That sucks. Now skedaddle, there's a gorgeous man who just walked in." Emily says pushing her chest out so that her breasts pressed suggestively against her thin white blouse.

"Later." Hermione smiles at Emily.

Hermione goes to her office after talking to Emily, with pride she looks around the office, smiling as she comes to her degrees posted on the wall, Hermione blows out a sigh of appreciation and clips her badge to her robes, taking her clipboard in hand she steps out of her office and begins her rounds.This promotion has not made her a favorite person among the healers who were turned down, especially Carolyn Corman who can barely conceal her dislike. Some of the older healers, older by about fifteen years, dislike her but pretend to like her.

Hermione walks around the hospital talking to Healers and her more personable patients, Hermione loved her new job, but she missed the interaction with the patients the pace of the hospital. One minute she was talking to a patient, then she felt herself feel violently ill, she just made it to a bathroom just before she threw up. Sitting on the floor of a bathroom stall, she felt quite ridiculous, confusion made it hard to think or even move.

The bathroom door swung open. Hermione heard stiletto heels clicking on the tiled floors, she heard a familiar voice mumble.

"Emily?" Hermione moans without meaning to.

The stall door opens.

"Hermione!?" The young blonde witch looks down at her friend in question. "What's wrong?!"

"The contents of my stomach." Hermione jokes weakly before she throws up again.

Emily, who is pretty sure that Hermione doesn't want the rest of the hospital to know that she is ill. She takes Hermione up to her office through the service stations and sits her down. There is an unfamiliar face in the office.

"Mrs. Granger?" She says hesitantly to the woman sitting behind the desk.

Instead of being startled by the presence of her mother in her office she moans 'mum' pitifully, Mrs. Granger immediately stands and looks at her daughter crumpled on the floor.

"What's wrong?!" She shouts at Emily.

"I don't know! I walked into the bathroom and she was throwing up in a stall."

"Hermione, sweetie. What's wrong?" Jennifer shakes her daughter gently.

Hermione doesn't answer but lies in Jennifer's lap, Hermione's mother looks at her, frightened by her daughter's inability to talk.

"We have to get her to my car." Jennifer says resolutely.

Emily nods and places one of Hermione's arms around her neck, Jennifer takes the other and they walk towards the stairwell, no one asks any questions as they get the parking lot and lie Hermione across the backseat, Hermione moans and curls her body intofetal position.

0 0 0

A few hours later, Hermione wakes up, extremely confused but very well rested. "Where am I?" she mumbles.

"Hi honey." Her mother chirps from the rocking chair.

"What's going on?"Hermione says, sitting up on her family couch.

"I came to see you at work but after I arrived, your friend, Emily, came bursting in carrying you."

"I don't feel so good." Hermione said, holding her stomach.

"Oh, Honey! I'm so proud of you!" Jennifer said joyfully, holding her daughter's face.

"What?" Hermione said confusedly.

Jennifer hesitated.

"What?" Hermione demanded.

"I thought you would have known."

"Known what?"

"Why, Hermione, you're pregnant!" Jennifer said loudly, happily

The color drained from Hermione's face, and with that thought on her mind, she fainted.

_---------_

_A/N:_

_-heheehehe what did you think of hermione's pregnancy? please review _

_-also, for fanfiction purposes i've eliminated the thing about muggles in St Mungo's. well i've changed it to only muggles that know the existence of wizards like the parents of muggle borns (i.e. hermione) etc etc  
_

_-thank you to my lovely reviewers,  
you will all enjoy what i have planned for michael :)  
_


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Hermione was NOT pregnant. She was absolutely NOT pregnant. She was one hundred percent positive, there was no separate life living in her womb.

"Mom! I'm not pregnant, it's probably just food poisoning." Jennifer gave her a pitying look and shook her head in amusement.

"Hermione, dear, what have you eaten?"

"Dunno, mum, it could have been cross contamination, or somebody who was dealing with the food sneezed and then didn't use a tissue. Or something! There are lots of ways to get salmonella! Or or a staph infection!" Hermione exclaims.

Jennifer laughs. "I doubt it."

"No! I would know, and I'm not pregnant."

Jennifer makes a noise that clearly states that she doesn't believe Hermione. "Ok, sweetie, go back to sleep." She says changing the topic. Hermione, for a second is indignant over the order like she is a child. But the protest is lost when her mother begins to rub Hermione's temples like she used to do when Hermione was a little girl.

0 0 0

Hermione wakes up a few hours later with a grumbling tummy. She gets up to investigate the refrigerator's contents, after finding nothing to satisfy an unknown craving, she goes into the freezer and finds a tub of moose tracks ice cream. She grabs a bowl from the cabinet and fills the bowl. She takes a large spoonful from the carton to start her ice cream. The ice cream melts on her tongue, giving her the feeling that she always gets, that anything can be cured with a good ice cream.

"HERMIONE!" a male voice bellows from the entrance of the kitchen

"Daddy!" Hermione squeals happily, she puts her bowl of ice cream on the counter next to the refrigerator and hugs her father.

"Hey, honey, Hermione has something to tell you." Jennifer says pointedly.

Hermione glares at her mother. "No, I don't." she says through clenched teeth.

"Well, honey, lets just say you will be a grandpa soon." Mr. Granger's eyes lit up.

"Really?!" he exclaims happily.

"Well, maybe, I'm not sure yet." Hermione allows a smile. Her father's happiness is contagious.

"Come on, mummy, grammy lets go watch the news." He links arms with his wife, and gestures to his daughter to come with them into the living room. Hermione who has not forgotten her ice cream, grabs the bowl from the counter then heads into the living room.

0 0 0

Later on, back at her house, she is watching a movie with Emily. A John Hughes marathon, _Pretty in Pink_, _The Breakfast Club_ and _Sixteen Candles _they are eating ice cream and not caring about how many calories they are consuming, but they are so involved in the plot of the _Breakfast Club_, they are revealing why they are there. So they are watching intently.

The jock (or Emilio Estevez) is revealing the reason, when Michael walks in the door, loudly and is yelling to Hermione.

"Sweetie. The most amazing thing happened in class today! Where are you?" Michael yells as he comes through the door to the TV room.

"Ssshh!" Emily hisses, involuntarily. Realizing her mistake, she hurriedly mumbles an apology and pauses the movie.

"Hi honey." Hermione says brightly. "what happened that I won't believe?" She asks with a genuine curiosity.

"Tell you later." Michael grimaces a bit, as Emily summons the cookies she brought from her bag, but Hermione doesn't notice Michael's expression.

"'Kay" she says kissing his cheek, then hurrying off to finish the movie.

A few hours later, they have finally finished _Pretty In Pink, _when Hermione realizes that Michael went to bed about an hour before that. She figures it is safe to confide in Emily, nevertheless she listens intently to make sure that no footsteps are coming.

"Emily, I think I'm pregnant." Hermione whispers.

"Really?!?! That's fantastic" Emily hugs her.

"I'm not sure yet. I need to buy a muggle pregnancy test." Hermione says.

"Do you want to make a late night pregnancy test run?" Emily says. She stands up and switches from her movie pajamas, (blue with popcorn on it) to casual jeans and printed tee. Hermione does the same, but with jeans and a sweatshirt.

"Do you mind?"

"Hermione, you're my best friend, and this is important to you."

"Alright." she says hesitantly, making her way to the door. "And maybe while we're there we can buy some cheetos and peanut butter."

"Ew!" Emily makes a face. "I think I already know what the test is going to say."

Half an hour later, Emily and Hermione find there way to a drugstore and walk inside, feeling like a teenager doing something bad she grabs the pregnancy test and runs up to the register with Emily, they both giggle nervously.

"Will that be all?" the woman asks in a condescending voice.

"Cheetos." Hermione says and heads to the back for chips.

When Hermione steps out of the store, she feels like she's done something wrong, like someone was going to point her out and call her some rude name, no one did.

"There's one hurdle." she muttered under her breath.

0 0 0

"But that's impossible!" Charlie Weasley bellows. He is arguing with his superior. "I wasn't even in Romania that night. I was in England at my birthday party!"

"Well, clearly the records state that you were." Charlie's boss Bobby Blumieri, a squat, pug-nosed little wizard says, matter-of-factly.

"I wasn't here, I was off that night! I have a witness." Charlie exclaims.

"I want to see this witness."

Charlie wondered what he should say, he opened his mouth and said...

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Hermione felt queasy, her heart was racing in her chest making it hard to breath, just one more minute and she would know, Emily sat beside her holding her hand tightly.

"It's all right, Hermione. I'm sure Michael will love to hear your pregnant."

A wave of guilt washed over her. "Emily..."

"It is his baby, after all..."

"Emily..."

"... maybe you should name it Michael jr..."

"EMILY!" Hermione shouted.

"Yes?" her friend looked at her expectantly.

"It may not be Michael's."

"What do you mean?"

"Remember the red head from the hospital?"

"Weasley, right?"

"Yea."

Emily looked confused for a moment, then a look of total surprise covered her features.

"HIM?!" Emily nearly yelled.

"Shhhhhh!"

"Him?!"

"Yes."

Emily just stared at her. "What if Michael finds out?"

"If it's a redhead, Michael is going to be pissed. That is if he even wants children."

"Well, maybe the test is going to be a negative."

"God, I hope so. I'm not ready to be a mother."

Emily face was sympathetic. "Are you kidding? You would make a great mother!"

Hermione blanched. "No, no I wouldn't."

The timer went off and suddenly Hermione could hear the distant cry of a baby, images of tiny hands and feet flashed through her head, images of Michael's anger, of Charlie's happiness, the flashed merged. Slowly she reached out and picked up the test, turning it over she read...

(Author's Notes:)

-La la la la la la. What do you think?

- so I was doing a kitchen class and we were learning about sanitation and food type diseases, so there you go.

-randomness; I was listening to "Fabulous" from High School Musical 2. which is really the wrong kind of song to listen to for writing a dramatic scene. Lols.

-sorry I haven't posted in a while, school started up again and I needed my routine down. But a trivial thing such as school wont keep me away ; kidding – possibly.

-please review.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

She gripped the test tightly in her hand, the screen had a (+). It was positive. She couldn't believe it. Her mind was like a scratched CD. _I'm Pregnant, I'm pregnant. _

Emily peered over at the test grasped in Hermione's hand.

"Congratulations!" She squealed, throwing her arms around Hermione.

"Thank you?" Hermione said weakly. She wasn't sure how to react. Happiness was the obvious reaction. But she wasn't sure she was happy. Did she want to be pregnant? She was only twenty one, all her concentration was focused on the screen, on the screen of the test, how was she supposed to react? Hermione jumped when she felt Emily's elbow dig into her side. She looked up to see Michael entering the kitchen.

She whipped the pregnancy test from sight.

"What's up sweetie?" Hermione said concernedly. She hurries by the trashcan, dropping the test in the bin on the way to hug him.

"Hungry." Michael says as he moves toward the refrigerator. "Just gonna get a snack."

"Alright." she squeaked.

"Are you okay?"

"Yea, of course. What makes you think I'm not?" she asked nervously.

"You just seem a little stressed."

"Oh, yea. Pretty serious stuff going on at work." the excuse sounded lame to her ears.

"Okay." Michael was looking at her strangely. But he must have dismissed it because he continued to the refrigerator.

Emily looked at Hermione expectantly, and Hermione shook her head subtly.

Michael who has been standing in the open refrigerator, eating frosting from a can with a spoon.

Hermione makes a face at him and says that he can keep the frosting since it's now all germy.

"What you don't like my germs? You are engaged to me, a little thing like my germs shouldn't separate us." Hermione's laugh is too controlled, too loud. It is very obvious it is fake laughter. Michael shakes his head in confusion and walks back up to bed.

"Hermione, it's late, I should probably go, so you can go to bed." Emily says. "I'll pick up my stuff in the morning."

"Ok" Hermione says uncomprehendingly, the result of her test has jammed her brain. She's finding it hard to focus on other topics.

She makes her way up the stairs, slowly and lies awake.

0 0 0

_Slobozia__, Romania_

Charlie quite literally could not believe the circumstance he found himself in. He was in prison. For a crime he did not commit. He had a trial soon. They would tell him later. They only gave him one owl to send out.

He had wanted to send it to Hermione, see if she cared enough about him to reply, or do something to show that she still cared. But that was a pipe dream. But, instead the sensible person came out and he owled one of his good friends from the Keeper's Dorms, and asked him to please withdraw 550 galleons and deliver the money to the prison where he was being held.

0 0 0

When Charlie woke up from an apparent midday's nap, he was alarmed to see a pale face hovering at the bars of his cell

"Mariella?" he asked questioningly. Mariella had been one of his best friends at Hogwarts, she and he had bonded over their love of Magical Creatures, and they were both delighted to learn upon their graduation from Hogwarts that they had both been accepted at the Slobozia Dragon Care Facilities. They had had a little fling back when they were both seventeen, but nothing had come out of it. Except Mariella, herself, who left the closet a little later that year.

"Charlie Weasley? Who would have thought you'd ever be in prison." Mariella had a laughing, joking manner to her voice.

"Not me." he mumbled.

"Certainly not, well, I've paid your bail. Now, come out with me and meet my girlfriend." Mariella exclaimed.

So he did. They went out drinking, but the whole time he was out with them a feisty brunette stayed on his mind. Finally when he was too smashed to see straight, he didn't think of her. But he _would_ dream of her.

0 0 0 0

After work one night, Hermione and Michael were just cuddling on the couch, while Michael aggravatedly flipped through the channels, alternately booing and cheering respective sports teams. Hermione stayed in her thoughts, awkwardly offering a well placed 'booo' or 'yay!' when it seemed appropriate.

Finally, all of the games seemed to go on a commercial break at the same time. It was like a sign. More than a sign, it was like god himself was ordering Hermione to tell Michael about this pregnancy.

"Hermione, I've been thinking" He said, casually turning the TV on mute.

"What have you been thinking of?" Hermione asked, genuinely curious.

"I think since we're getting married, we should think about having a baby." Michael says (yup, it was definitely a sign from god)

"Michael, I took a pregnancy test last night."

He was silent.

"It was positive."

"Oh." Michael was stunned. "Is it my child?" Hermione was extremely offended (even though this was a valid question in her mind, shedidn't even know) but still, the way he said it. It sent chills down her spine.

"I don't know if its yours." Hermione said quickly, hoping it would get over faster.

"What! Who else's would it be?" Michael bellowed.

"Charlie's" she said and the idea of being pregnant with his baby made her all fluttery inside, but she immediately dismissed that thought as foolish. Michael was the one she loved, right?

"That guy from the Christmas party!" he bellowed indignantly.

"Maybe, i thought i used contraceptives though."

"I don't know when I got pregnant, all I know is that I've been really stressed at work with this promotion, then I got sick. I never get sick. So Emily and I went to buy a pregnancy test. And it was positive." Hermione says explaining it to him.

"OK, Hermione. Sshh. Honey, I will love this baby no matter what."

* * *

-author's notes:

-anyway. Here's the new chappy. I think this is more of a set up chapter for the drama. Later on. Keep with me, and review please.

-haha, i love to write Michael he's such an evil character, which makes him fun to write. love to write, but hate.

-ok, so i didnt intend to create mariella, she is a nothing, just a character to get me out of a writer's block.

- and i was going to use Bucharest, Romania, but thats a city, hardly a place to keep dragons. so i moved it to what i think is a town in romania. if i'm wrong, i'm sorry.

-this is the first story where i've gotten double digit chapters!! im excited for me. :P


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

The next day she went to her mother's house to tell the news. Jennifer hugged her daughter when she walked through the door. "Hi mum. How are you?" Hermione asked hugging her mother back. "I'm good, sweetie, how are you and baby?" Jennifer was still going with the assumption that Hermione was pregnant. Although Hermione had a bit of a moment in surprise and blurted: "How'd you know?" "Oh, sweetie, I'm your mother, I could just tell." Jennifer replies. "Oh." "So, i think you should make an appointment with my OB/GYN, to make sure that you and the baby are alright." Jennifer says, now businesslike. "I'll give you her number." "Ok." Hermione says. So she leaves her mother's house with a phone number and a firm order to call this woman as soon as possible. She looks at the number once she's arrived back at her house. She sat on her couch and stared at the back of one of her parents business card, where her mother had scribbled "Dr. Amy Bryant, 448-904831"

"Hello, I'd like to make an appointment for myself" She says once a receptionist has answered the phone.  
"Which doctor." The receptionist says.  
"Dr. Bryant."  
After the receptionist has taken the necessary information, and they have scheduled an appointment for the next day, (somebody had just cancelled) Hermione hangs up.  
Michael has come inside from work.  
"Hi honey. How are my girls." He says in this totally sweet way.  
"How do you know its a girl?"  
"I just know." Michael says kissing her stomach. A funny little fluttering happens, when his lips touch her stomach. Not the good fluttery kind, but more along the lines of "I'm going to be sick" sort of flutter. (And not the good pregnancy kind)

0 0 0 0 0 0

The next day, Hermione walks into the doctor's office. She checks in with the receptionist and sits in the waiting room. She nervously rolls a magazine into a telescope shape then flat, telescope, flat.  
A tall, beautiful woman in a white lab coat, and her red curly hair tied tightly into a ponytail.  
"Hermione Granger?" She asks.  
Hermione stands.  
"Hello, Ms. Granger, I'm Dr. Amy Bryant." She says.  
"Hello" Hermione says nervously.  
"Jen Granger's daughter?"  
"Yes." Hermione confirms.  
"You look just like her." Dr. Bryant says looking at the brunette in front of her.  
"Really? I always thought I looked like my dad." Hermione says.  
"No, I definitely think it's you and your mother that are more similar."  
They walk into a sterilized room, where there is fresh paper on the bench and a clean lemony scent.  
"Hermione Granger. What are you here for?" Dr. Bryant asks.  
Hermione gives Dr. Bryant an 'are you kidding me?' look.  
"Kidding, my dear." Dr. Bryant laughs  
"Well, I took a pregnancy test and it was a positive, so I figured I'd schedule an appointment to make sure everything was all right."  
"Alright then." Dr. Bryant says cheerfully.  
They go through the tests necessary to check things out.  
While they wait. Hermione can't stand the silence of the room, so she begins to talk. After a few sentences she continues out into babbling.  
"I thought I would become a vegetarian while I was pregnant. I've heard it's healthier for the baby. and I've always wanted to try vegetarianism."  
Dr. Bryant waits for Hermione's vegetarian babble to cease when she jumps in with the answer.  
"Actually, a meat or vegetarian diet is fine as long as everything is in moderation and you are getting all your other food groups. and Actually Hermione, there is no baby. I'm terribly sorry but you had a false alarm." Dr. Bryant says reaching out for Hermione's hand.  
An amazing thrill courses through Hermione's body. She was really happy. She was happy she wouldn't have to take hell from Michael if the 'baby' had turned out to be Charlie's or get some serious grief from Ginny for not telling Charlie she had his baby.  
"Alright. Well, it was nice meeting you." Dr Bryant says cordially. and walks Hermione back through to the waiting room.  
Hermione bids adieu to the OB/GYN's office, and practically floats while she walks down to her parents dental practice to deliver the news.  
0 0 0 0 0

Charlie was in trouble. But first he needed some legal counsel. He was scheduling a meeting with a promising lawyer named Carolina Swift. and for that he was back in England. He probably should have looked in Romania. But he lived in England, he could speak Romanian, but it was choppy and barely enough to have a conversation. And when he listened to two Romanians speak to each other, at most he could only pull apart two or three verbs from the messy flow of words.

Mariella and Andreea (Mariella's girlfriend) were also with him. That had been a surprise for him. He had walked into his room at the Leaky Cauldron and on the couch sat pale, fair-haired Mariella and darker skin and pink streaked brown haired, Andreea.

"Hi Charlie!" They chorused.

Charlie was aghast.

"Well, Charlie I remembered that Andreea is a upholder of the laws and stuff in Romania, soo i figured that she could help you with your case." Mariella said.

"Oh, thank you." Charlie said, still startled by the appearance of two women in his room.

"Since I did something for you, can you do something for me?" Mariella asked.

"Suppose" Charlie grunted.

"Could you hang out with Andi, cos since I'm in England I'm obligated to visit my mum, and she's not fond of my partners..." Mariella paused.

"Sure, we'll have a great time. I was going to my own parents house, Andi could come with me."

"THANK YOU!! I love your parents, I'll be at your house in a couple hours. Byeee" Mariella yells as she apparates away.

"Are you hungry?" Charlie asks Andreea.

"Yes, I am." Andreea says, with a lilted Romanian accent.

"What do you want to eat?" Charlie asks.

"I would love some coffee." Andreea replies.

"Coffee, it is." He heads over to the kitchenette in the room and unearths a coffeemaker from one of the cabinets.

"You would think they didnt want us to have coffee." Andreea says watching Charlie from the couch.

"Probably."

A few minutes later, Andreea is holding a large steaming mug of coffee, her fingers wrapped around it lovingly.

"You make good coffee for an Englishman" Andreea says.

Charlie realizes he has just been insulted exclaims "hey!"

"It's true!" Andreea says with a smile.

"My ex-girlfriend was addicted to coffee, needed it with her oxygen, we used to joke." Charlie says "and she was horrible at making it herself so I learned the art of coffee." Andreea sips her coffee.

"When you're done, we can go somewhere. Anywhere you want to visit?"

"Mariella talks so fondly about Hogwarts, maybe we could go there?" Andreea proposes.

"It's a plan, then we'll meet her back at The Burrow." Andreea gives him a questioning look. "My parent's house." Charlie clarifies.

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

"Mum, I went to Dr. Bryant today. And I have some major news."

"YOU'RE PREGNANT!!" Jennifer declares happily.

"Actually, no, I'm not. False Alarm." Hermione says gently to her mother.

"Oh, Thank god!" Jennifer bursts out.

"MOM?!?! What the hell?" Hermione yells.

"Well sorry dear, you're 21, you're still a child! To be having your own child!"

"Mom! Twenty-one is considered grownup in most cultures. if this was the 1700's I'd be married and possibly having a third or fourth."

"Or.. burned at the stake for being a witch."

"Mom! Unhelpful!"

"Honey! Honestly. I love you when you have a bad hair day, I love you when you're hair is good. the point is sweetie that I love you, pregnant or not."

"Are you seriously comparing being pregnant with a baby (!) to having a bad hair day?"

"Yeah, kind of"

"...?"

"Oh, I'm happy if you're happy, baby. That's what I mean." Jennifer says giving her daughter a hug.

O_nly a few more people to tell._ Hermione thinks as she apparates to Ginny and Harry's apartment

Harry and Ginny weren't at their apartment. She floos to the ministry to Harry and Ginny's respective offices. Then realizes that they are probably at the Burrow.

0 0 0 0 0 0

Charlie and Andreea have finished the tour of Hogwarts, hastily, Charlie is saying that Mariella can give you a more detailed tour later on.

"I would enjoy that, and maybe put that requirement room to good use." Andreea says with a suggestive smirk.

"Ok... off to the Burrow. Mariella will surely be there by now." Charlie says uncomfortably, as Andreea grabs onto his arm for side-along apparition.

They get to the Burrow. Andreea, who is clearly unused to doing side-along apparition slams into Charlie and they slam into the ground. On the ground they look like a pair in a tryst. If someone had not viewed the previous event (a bad side-along apparition) it would look bad. Very bad indeed.

The front door opens and to Charlie's horror and disbelief, it was Hermione.

**A/N: \**

**-mwamwaHahahahaha, I'm mean :) **

**-getting the school routine down and stuff so sorry it's been a while since my last post. **

**-review and let me know what you think!! **

**-also I have no idea what a proper Romanian accent sounds like, I was trying out a Viktor Krum type accent but I didn't really like it. Just use your imaginations. **

**-ok, so i know that I told you Mariella wasn't going to be anything, well i decided to make her something. Or at least make it a subplot or actually not a subplot since this has only just started, but, I couldn't help myself. **

**yay!! **

thank you to my lovely reviewers :)

Coonassblondie

lemonicelolly

slytherinprincess3

thecountess6688

warly


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: oh btw, this is an AU, because I like Lupin & Tonks too much and Fred. Fred shouldn't have died!!!

-Oh and sorry about the long wait between updates - school and a social life and a _**wicked**_ case of writer's block. (I know exactly what I want to happen in the end, I just don't know how to get to the end, which is why you got the cliffy you guys did last chapter)

* * *

Chapter 13

At the sight of Charlie on the ground with some girl made Hermione angry, at first she couldn't identify the bubbling rage she felt inside her, never before had she felt such anger towards a woman before, it was later that she finally realized that it wasn't anger but jealousy she was feeling, bubbling over like water from a kettle.

She walked into the kitchen blinded by angry tears.

"Hermione? What's up?" Ginny had wandered in from the living room, where she and a couple of her brothers had been sitting.

"Stuff" she replies, trying to hide her feelings.

"What kind of stuff?" Ginny prods.

"Um, I'm planning my wedding, had a false alarm."

"Oh, cool. Wait, whoa what?"

"Yeah, I thought I was pregnant, took a test said I was, went to the OB/GYN and she said I wasn't. False Alarm." Hermione says crankily.

"Oh." Ginny says nothing then walks away recognizing Hermione's anger and annoyance.

Charlie and Andreea walk into the kitchen, immediately Hermione's mood takes another nosedive as she falls even deeper into her bad mood. Already she's jealous of the other woman walking into the room, she peers at his face, trying to determine what he still felt for her, his face was slightly red but didn't appear the least bit interested in her, and in fact was pointedly ignoring her presence. As though alerted by a call, all the Weasleys in the house had come into the kitchen-awaiting introduction to the new woman.

"Everybody, this is Andreea. A friend of mine from Romania."

"Is she single? Are you single?" George yells out asking Charlie, then a split second later realizing he should be asking Andreea.

"No, I am not single." She chooses that moment to grab onto Charlie's arm. "Sorry, I felt faint for a second." she whispers in an undertone to Charlie.

Hermione who has slowly been becoming angrier and angrier, says in a cold voice "Charlie may I speak to you for a second, alone?"

"Sure."

"Who the hell is she?" Hermione demands once they are in private. She doesn't allow Charlie to answer. "Your girlfriend?"

"NO! She is not my girlfriend! AND WHY DO YOU CARE?" he booms, now looking at her for the first time since him and the woman had appeared.

"I CARE, OK, I CARE!!" Hermione shrieks and puffs off in a cloud of smoke, not wanting Charlie to see the tears that threatened to spill from her cheeks, still inside Charlie stares at the place where Hermione had been and feels slightly weirded out.

The doorbell rings, and Charlie who is closest to the door answers it.

"Hey Charlie." Mariella says casually. "What's up?"

"Not that much, actually." Charlie says with an unpleasant face.

"How was visiting your mum?" Charlie asks, anxious to get her attention away from him.

"Not very pleasant. She was trying to set me up. With a man!"

"Very subtle." Charlie laughs.

"I know. And I told her that very angrily. 'MOTHER I AM A LESBIAN! GET THE FUCK OVER IT.THAT'S NOT GOING TO CHANGE!' I yelled then I stormed off and now I'm here." Mariella says with a grin. Inside the kitchen Andreea is fencing off requests for dates and long lonely nights.

Mr. and Mrs. Weasley are just ignoring their horny sons and continuing on with whatever they were doing.

"Mom, dad. You remember my friend from school. Mariella Dupre."

"Molly Weasley, and this is my husband Arthur." Mrs. Weasley says walking over and giving her a hug.

"Hey, Mariella." Fred says. "Want to go out tonight?"

"No, not really."

"Why?"

"I'm taken." Mariella smirks, grabbing Andreea and giving her a dip and kissing her.

"Oh." Fred says. "Wanna a third?" Fred grins.

Mrs. Weasley chucks a spoon at her son. "Shut up Fred!!" She bellows.

"Hello Mrs. Weasley, it's nice to see you again." Mariella says with a smile.

"Hello dear." she smiles. "How's your career going?"

"Oh, the dragon keep is great. But the men seem to think that since I'm a woman, I can't do anything dangerous."

"Those sexist pigs." Ginny interrupts. "Where'd Hermione go?" She asks noticing that Hermione has left.

"Dunno, she was pretty angry though." Charlie says, he's worried, but he can't show that.

"I'll be back." Ginny says, getting up from the table, no doubt to apparate to Hermione's house.

0 0 0 0 0

Why was she so upset over nothing? That's what Charlie was to her, nothing. _Not quite, why would you be so upset if Charlie meant nothing to you? _Hermione thought, reasoning with herself. Her voice of reason sounded suspiciously like her mother, which was kind of annoying. But it was exactly the kind of thing her mother would say.

"Hermione? You here?" A voice asks from the porch.

"Yeah. Door's open."

"Hey Hermione. Why'd you leave the Burrow like that?"

"Dunno, seeing Charlie with Andreea."

"Hermione, there's nothing to worry about there. I'm pretty sure they are just friends."

"How do you know that?"

"Andreea's a lesbian. Charlie and Andreea's girlfriend, Mariella have been friends since Hogwarts."

"Oh." Hermione has been stunned into silence. "A lesbian?" (Or not)

"Yes. They did a kiss and dip to demonstrate. Cos Fred was being an ass and kept hitting on her, Andi, then Mariella."

"Great, now I feel horrible for yelling at him for no reason."

"Hermione... you realize that Charlie would kill me if I told you this, so you better keep it to yourself."

"What?"

"I think Charlie really likes you." Ginny says.

"But I'm engaged. He can't like me. I'm hideous."

"You can like somebody even though they are engaged, you know that is how affairs start."

"The patronizing tone is so not what I need right now, Ginny."

"But seriously, I know Charlie doesn't think I know, but I do. He just is different when you're around, or when somebody talks about you. And you are not hideous. You are beautiful." Ginny hits Hermione at the last part.

"I am so hideous."

"You are not. Then why would Charlie like you so much? Or Michael?"

"Are you saying they only love my appearance???" Hermione demands.

"I don't know. All I am saying is that I am not a guy so I don't know what the hell they are thinking half the time, (and I don't really want to know) but I do know that you are not ugly." Ginny says Hermione rolls her eyes. Suddenly Ginny's face lights up.

"I have an idea." A brilliant smile cracks Ginny's face. "If I can get Harry and Ron to kiss, you are not allowed to say anything bad about yourself. And if I don't, you can."

"That's a stupid idea. How does that prove anything?" Hermione bellows.

"Don't know. I've always wanted to see two guys kiss though." Ginny sounds like a teenager.

Hermione smiles wickedly, "So have I."

So the girls summon a very confused Harry and an equally confused Ron to Hermione's house.

Ginny explains the rules to the guys. They go from 'understanding' to 'hell no!' in a matter of seconds. Ron, in an unusual bright moment, asks how that proves anything. The girls don't answer, but are too busy giving sad faces to the boys.

Harry and Ron look at each other with a sigh, and then Harry grabs Ron and kisses him full on the mouth. Tipping Ron over into a dip. They resurface. They step away from each other hastily.

"That was a good kiss, Ron, but not as good as Malfoy." Harry jokes.

"OH GOD! I JUST KISSED A MAN!!" Ron runs to the kitchen and begins rinsing his mouth out.

Hermione and Ginny are beside themselves with laughter at Ron's reaction.

"There, now you can't say anything bad about yourself." Ginny laughs.

"Whatever." Hermione tucks a brown curl behind her ear and smiles. It's such a natural and happy smile.

"Sweetie, you have to go talk to Charlie. He loves you."

"Ginny, I'm engaged to be married. I can't talk to him! I can't" Hermione screams.

"Can't what?" A new male voice asks. Hermione screams.

"Hi Michael." Ginny says faintly.

"What'd I miss?" Michael asks, while looking at Ron in the kitchen running around like a chicken with his head cut off, and Harry looking at Ginny all-gooey eyed. (Ginny does not notice, she's a bit distracted by Ron's antics and Michael's presence) "Clearly a lot." Michael says dryly.

"Hermione, may I speak to you for a minute?" He says.

"Sure."

"Hermione, I don't want you to have them over if I'm not here." Michael tells her.

Alarm bells are going off in her head, "Why?"

"Cos, if they are here, then you are here with them."

"Yea...?" Hermione says, still not understanding what he means.

"I don't know. I just don't like them. They give me a bad feeling." Michael says. Hermione frowns at him.

"Why would they give you a funny feeling? They are nice people."

"Yes, but they are wizards. I'm sorry sweetie, but I'm not all that comfortable with their powers."

Hermione frowns some more, "But..." when Michael captures her voice in a kiss. Her lips curve upward into a smile, a tingly sensation runs through her entire body. _But Charlie made you feel better. _The thought pops out of nowhere and Hermione shakes her head to rid herself of the thought.

Right now, she had a wedding to plan.

Later on, the mothers had arrived so the wedding planning was underway. Mrs. Desmond presented Hermione with the invitations that had arrived this morning. In a flourish she shows Hermione the invitations, the card was made of a rich creamy paper, and the finest raised ink announcing the date and details Hermione and Michael's impending nuptials.

"Aren't they beautiful, sweetheart?" Mrs. Desmond asked, beaming.

"They are very beautiful. Thank you, Mrs. Desmond." Hermione said, not wanting to offend her.

"Call me Laura or mom, now." Mrs. Desmond (Laura) says proudly.

"Ok." Hermione says.

"Hermione! Dear what kind of flowers did you want?"

"Snapdragons." Hermione says absently.

"What? But I have an order for white irises!" Mrs. Granger says her voice rising into a hysterical tone.

"No, I meant white irises. Chill, mum gosh." Hermione says with a bright smile.

"Not funny, dear." Mrs. Granger tells her daughter, her smile returning.

"Sorry."

0 0 0 0

"So Charlie" Andreea says.

Charlie looks up from what he is doing to look at Andreea and smiles, now she is dressed in business attire, complete with a small, pert little bun at the back of her head that hides the bright pink streaks liberally laced through her hair.

"Yes." Charlie replies.

"What have you been accused of?" Andreea asks readying her quill to take notes.

"Well, my crime according to Bobby Blumieri is that I released and set free all the dragons in the keep where I work."

"Where do you work?"

"The Slobozia Dragon Reserve."

"What do you do there?"

"I tend to the nesting females, feeding, cleaning, healing, and occasionally I tend to one of the other dragons if another keeper takes ill or is injured."

"Interesting." Andreea says murmuring. "Any particular dragons you care for."

"Maya, a Hungarian Horntail and Jessie a Norwegian Ridgeback. Nasty bitches they are, but I love em'."

"So your charge is that you released Maya and Jessie from their enclosures and then they proceeded to cause havoc and mayhem."

"I didn't do that, but yes in a nutshell."

"Are there witnesses to verify that you were in fact in England and not in Romania at the time of the crime?"

"The amount of people at my birthday party."

"Hm. Would they be willing to submit to questioning?"

"Probably. If you could convince them." Charlie says without much enthusiasm.

"Your mum and dad will be viable witnesses, I shall ask them."

"Ask them to keep it private though."

"Anybody else, people you might have been with privately for a long period of time? People that could account for the whole time?"

"I can think of one, but I don't think she'd be willing to testify." thinking about Hermione sent a shaft of pain through him as he answered hesitantly.

0 0 0 0

Everything Ginny had said to her was floating around in her head. Charlie loves me. I love Michael.

It was funny that she said that. Because as she thought that. Michael came down in his knickers and asked if Hermione was coming to bed.

"Michael, we have to talk."

"Yes, Hermione." He said, sitting down at the table.

"Michael, remember how I said I was pregnant."

"Yes, and I love you for it."

"Well, I'm sorry Mikey but it was a false alarm. I'm not pregnant."

"What?"

"Mikey, I'm not pregnant anymore."

"Did you have an abortion?" Michael explodes. "You know I'm against them."

"No! Michael, weren't you listening? I was never really pregnant. A false alarm."

"Oh." Michael is feeling foolish for his rash behavior. "I'm sorry"

Hermione is annoyed, after she explained that it had been a false alarm, he had still jumped to false conclusions!! An annoying, stubborn man. But she did love him, she supposed.

Did she?

It was hard to explain her feelings about Michael, they were all jumbled up inside of her, a part of her loved him and yet a part of her was sorry she had chosen him over Charlie. She didn't want to feel this way but fate had dealt her these cards and now it was her turn to either stand her ground or walk away. If she were being honest with herself she would have to say that that night at the party with Charlie had been the night were she had fallen in love, even if she didn't remember, her body had known and recognized that he was her one true mate, her mind had accepted him as a part of her, and her heart had taken him in, good thing she wasn't always honest with herself. It wasn't fair to Michael to be thinking about Charlie, he deserved better. Hermione sat down in a huff and concentrated on Michael who was looking very forlorn at the moment.

"What's the matter?" he said, his eyes were bright looking at her.

"I dunno... I guess I really wanted this baby."

"Oh honey, it'll be okay, we'll have children after we're married."

_But what if I don't want to marry you? _Her mind was screaming_. What if I want more? What if I want Charlie? At least Charlie would have stuck up for me. At least Charlie would have cared more about this false alarm, he would have comforted me. _

"Yea." she said, smiling, trying to cover up the dread she felt inside of herself.

"C'mon, let's go to bed."

"Okay."

* * *

A/N:

-Sorry about the very long time between updates :

-the random harry /ron kiss scene happened when i was very tired and had a headache. i was amused (then again that is not exactly hard)

-im tireddd

-Read&Review, please

brooke-ella1790

11.07.07


	14. Chapter 14

**(Do not own)**

Chapter 14

Ever since her false alarm, she had been thinking. Thinking about Charlie more and more often. He loved her; she didn't love him, did she? The way Michael had acted during the Christmas party, it had been extremely rude. Hermione was confused. Did she love Michael?

That probably wasn't normal for a woman engaged to another man to think like that. She decided to go visit Charlie. Hermione had no idea that in retrospect, it would be the best and worst thing that ever happened to her.  
"Michael! I'm going out!" Hermione yelled, hearing the hiss of the shower as it turned off.

"Where you going?" Michael popped his head out.

She thought quickly, obviously she couldn't tell him that she was going to Charlie's to apologize. "I'm going down to the store to pick up some things."

He thought about this for a minute before speaking. "Okay, actually I got to go back to work; I need to finish those papers before next week. I'll see you tonight, sweetie." He wiggled his brows suggestively.

Hermione smiled but didn't feel anything inside. "Alright."

Michael wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her close, he kissed her cheek chastely first then kissed her full on the mouth, Hermione closed her eyes and willed herself to feel something. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back, beneath her hands she could feel the rough sinews of his strong chest, and heat rose from his bare skin and steamed around her. After a while Michael pushed her away and smiled, wagging one finger in front of her face.

"Save it for tonight, I've got something special planned."

'_Oh, Boy.'_ She thought and mentally slapped herself. "Sounds like fun." She said in a husky voice. "I'll be counting the minutes."

Michael laughed and disappeared into the bedroom they shared, Hermione watched as he entered the room and shut the door with a soft click, still watching the door she carefully snuck out onto the back porch and apparated to Charlie's apartment door. With trepidation she looked at the door, it was a relatively simple door, wood with a brass knob but it put the fear of God into her heart. Slowly she took a deep breathe and raised her hand to the door, then turned away from the door and closed her eyes tight, who was she kidding, she couldn't do this not so soon after the party. He probably still hated her.

"Dearie?" an elderly woman's voice broke through her fear.

"Yes?" Hermione turned and opened her eyes.

"Are you alright dear?"

"Yes, I'm visiting a friend."

"Charlie?"

"Uh…." She hesitated. "…yes."

"Not many young ladies come to see Charlie, are you a close friend?"

"Yea, I guess."

"Oh good. My name is Mrs. Lamprey."

"Hello, Mrs. Lamprey, My name is Hermione."

"A pretty name for a very pretty girl."

Mrs. Lamprey smiled at her and offered her hand, Hermione clasped the warm leathery hand and shook it gingerly, and the woman smiled once more and shuffled closer.

"Say, are you that young lady who is friends with Harry Potter?"

Hermione flushed. "Yes, he's my best friend in fact."

"Fascinating…"

Suddenly the door creaked open and Charlie stood there in the doorway wearing faded Levi's and a navy blue t shirt, ripped at the left shoulder, his overly long red hair was wet and curled at his ears.

"Hermione?"

She was speechless with awe; it hadn't been that long since she had seen him but somehow it seemed like an eternity, Hermione drank him in from his long scarred arms and the length of his muscular torso to his long thick legs that filled out his jeans so well. Her mouth was dry and her voice refused to work.

"Hello, Charlie! I was just speaking to your lady friend here but I think it must be time for me to return to see what old Emmett is up too."

"Say hello to Emmett for me, will you, my beautiful buttercup?"

"Oh, Charlie you flatter me."

"Anything for the love of my life." He continued and smiled.

Mrs. Lamprey smiled and shuffled off down the hallway, Charlie's attention came back to Hermione but before she could say anything Charlie turned and shut the door in her face. Indignation and surprise flashed through her.

"Charlie!" she yelled through the door. "I want to talk to you!"

"Who says I want to talk to you!" Charlie's voice was muffled.

"I came to apologize!"

"Not accepted!"

"This is ridiculous Charlie, stop being childish and open the door."

Nothing happened. "Charlie!"

"I don't want to talk to you, Hermione."

"Open the goddamn door or so help me God I will call your mother and _she_ will open this damn door!" she bellowed.

Ten seconds later the door opened so fast Hermione tripped on one of her feet trying to step back and fell, hitting her head with a thunk against the wall.

"Hermione! Oh god, I'm so sorry."

Charlie was by her side in a minute, pulling her up. "You okay?"

"Yeah. Fine. " She said glaring at him.

"You sure? Come inside."

Hermione was ushered inside and forced to sit on the black leather couch, Charlie went into the kitchen for a second for some tea. Hermione sat on the couch, her eyes closed in concentration; she had to come up with a way to apologize to Charlie without bringing the subject of that night at the party up. So far, she had nothing. Charlie came back 10 minutes later with a steaming cup of tea, he handed her the cup and sat down on the couch next to her.

"So why did you come here again?"

"I came to apologize for that night at the party…" she trailed off. "… Not yours, my Christmas party." A flush crept across her cheeks.

Charlie was silent. "I overreacted."

It was Hermione's turn to be quiet. Carefully she took a sip of her tea and cringed at the weakness of the tea, he smiled.

"I don't drink tea usually; mum makes it while she's here and Becky…" he trailed off for a moment. "… She drank coffee."

"Charlie, that's the other thing I came here for…. I didn't mean to have you break up with Becky."

"No, that was my fault, I hadn't realized that we just didn't fit until the injury, it wasn't fair to her or me."

"Still, I shouldn't have kissed you while you were dating someone else…" She blushed again.

Both were silent. "Hermione…"

"Charlie…" they said at the same time."I'm sorry."

They laughed for a moment then looked back at each other, for one startling moment all they could do was look at each other, tension flowed between them, and then Hermione broke. A flood of tears burst forth and rolled down her cheek, she muffled the sob by pressing her sleeve to her mouth and turning away from Charlie, his hand rested on her shoulder.

"Hermione, I..."

A sob spilled forth and Charlie couldn't resist from pulling her close to him and placing her head in the alcove of his neck, Hermione leaned into, aware of his masculinity as his heat radiated around her, tears spilled down her cheeks and wet the front of his shirt.

"It's okay..." he crooned.

"N-no... it-it's not..." she stuttered.

"What's the matter, sweetheart?"

"I don't know! Mi-Michael has b-been great..."

Charlie tensed. "When you're here, you don't talk about Michael... ever."

Hermione sensed his anger and stopped talking, but she couldn't stop the sobs that poured forth from her body. She had no idea where all the tears where coming from. She hadn't even known she was holding them in.

"What? What is it?"

"It's nothing." Hermione says. Feeling her tears stop and rubs her face determinedly as though to show Charlie that is really is nothing.

"C'mon Hermione, it's not nothing." Charlie says, he gets up and goes to a cabinet in the kitchen.

"Want a drink?" He comes back brandishing a bottle of fire whiskey and a set of shot glasses.

"Yes." Hermione knocks back the whiskey before Charlie has even sat down.

Charlie looks startled by this un-Hermione like behavior, without skipping a beat he asks "Do you want to talk about it?"

"No, I don't want to talk. I just need another drink." Hermione said holding out her glass. He sits down next to her, and casually rubs her shoulder as she sits. Hermione can feel her skin burning underneath his touch, but she attributes this to the amount of fire whiskey she's been drinking.

Charlie? Would you still like me if..." she trailed off and looked away.

"If what?"

"... If I married Michael."

Charlie looked Hermione; he was stunned that she would even ask. "Hermione..."

"You know what? Never mind." Hermione tried to stand, but was prevented when Charlie's hand wrapped around her wrist like a vice.

"No... Hermione. I would like you even if you married Cornelius Fudge, hell, Hermione I love you."

"Charlie..."

"No, stop." he placed a finger to her mouth. "Please, don't break my heart again."

Hermione placed a hand on his cheek, she smiled through his fingers before pulling him closer and pressing her lips against his, she felt the warmth of his lush lips against hers; Charlie's hand released her and reached around the nape of her neck, pressing her more fully against him. Her breasts brushed the front of his shirt and went diamond hard. Charlie pulled away first, his face was flushed.

"Hermione, are you sure?"

"Please, Charlie, I'm not sure of anything right now. I just want you."

"I don't want you to have sex with me because you're confused, I want to you to make love with me because you want to."

"I want you, I want to." she moaned.

Charlie smiled. "You can't back out now."

Charlie lifted her in his arms, bridal style, he kissed her full on the mouth and traced her lips with his tongue, she opened her mouth willingly the heady taste of fire whiskey and something darker poured into her blood.

0 0 0 0

The next morning, Hermione wakes with a pounding head. _Where am I? _She wonders. Then she sees Charlie's supine form on the bed. "Fuck!" Hermione curses, in a whisper. She slides out of the bed, and quickly throws on all of her clothes.

A faint mumble makes her turn back to the bed, where Charlie is barely awake.

"Hermione? I thought I was dreaming about you being here."

"Charlie, I can't be here! I can't be here! Why was I here?" Hermione is finally starting to freak out, why did this keep happening to her?

Hermione hurries out the door, completely forgetting the jacket, lying abandoned on the floor of Charlie's room.

0 0 0 0

A couple days later, Hermione wonders where the hell she left her jacket, she and Michael were going shopping. And it was freezing outside. Why didn't she have her jacket?

It wasn't so bad, after getting home from her night with Charlie she makes up a story about being at Ginny's house. When Ginny was having an emotional crisis, and she needed her best friend. Michael would never double check this story because he isn't that fond of Ginny, due to the fact that she is a witch.

Michael has just dug up one of his fleeces from the laundry room and is telling Hermione about it, and she is gladly accepting it, when the doorbell rings.

"Hang on!" Hermione yells, she is sliding an arm into the fleece when she opens the door and sees Charlie standing there with her jacket. She looks at him; she is quite startled by this turn of events, and takes the jacket from him.

Michael walks into the room. "Hello." he says stiffly.

"Charlie brought me my jacket. I must have left it at Ginny's." Hermione says, looking at Charlie pointedly.

"Yeah, I was at Ginny's flat when she found the jacket, so I volunteered to bring it over. Because Ginny had to go to work." Charlie says playing along, handing Hermione her jacket. Michael is standing next to Hermione with his arm around her. She subtly mouths 'thank you' to Charlie and then he leaves. Michael and Hermione head out to do some shopping.

A/N:

-Hey! Sorry about the long wait in between updates. junior year is busyy. :)

-Thank you to all my lovelyy reviewers!! I love you all. (Honestly)

-if you review you can get a coloring book and crayola crayons. (Don't lie, you know you want it) so review!!

12/6/07


	15. Chapter 15

-If you hate Michael, you will deffo hate his grandmother! SHE'S A BITCH. And she was really fun to write. :D

* * *

Chapter 15

"Come on Hermione! You have to! She's only going to be in town for a few days!" Michael exclaims from the bathroom.

"I can't! I have to work and I can't randomly take a day off!" Hermione declares crankily from her side of the bed where she has a book in her lap.

Michael comes out from the bathroom wearing a pair of plaid pajama pants, slung low on his hips. Even in the heat of an argument she couldn't resist taking a long look at Michael, his chest was toned with thick pecs and broad shoulders tapering off into long muscular arms, a memory of Charlie's arms wrapped around her body pops into her head. There were no scars on Michael's arms. Hermione smiled at Michael imaging Charlie in his place. Her heart began to thunder in her chest; no matter how hard she tried she couldn't get him out of her mind.

"You're the boss! I'm sure that you can take ONE day off!" At the voicing of Michael's argument she shook the image of Charlie from her mind and responded.

"I don't want to meet your grandmother." Hermione moans.

Michael feigns hurt. "But you'll love her! She's a feisty old lady!"

"Michael that was an image I did not need to see in my head." she says seriously, and then moans. "And I really don't want to meet her."

"Please?" he pleads.

He looked so pitiful, standing there, pouting. She caved, she couldn't say no to him when they were finally on such stable ground. "Fine, I guess I can call in sick once."

"Great! I'll call mum and tell her!" Michael says jogging out of the room to find the phone.

Hermione gets up early like she's going to work, but instead of dressing and heading for St. Mungo's she goes to her owl's cage and ties a couple of notes to her leg, the owl nods at her and takes flight out the window. She begins to make breakfast for Michael and herself when a knock comes at the door...

"It's open!" she hollers to the person on the other side of the door.

The door swings open, and Ginny bursts through looking charmingly tousled.

"Hey Hermione!" she chirps.

"Hey Ginny, what's up?"

"Not much, Harry went on a trip last night."

"Really? Where?"

"Dunno, wasn't listening, I told him not to tell me things late at night." Ginny shrugs.

"Oh. Want some French toast?" Hermione offers a plate of French toast in reply.

"Sure!" Ginny accepts the plate happily and douses the bread with syrup.

"I'm meeting Michael's family today." Hermione says nervously.

"That must be rough, but I don't know because I've never had to, because his family is dead!" Ginny giggles

"Ginny! That's an awful thing to say!" Hermione gasps.

"What? It's true and it's not like I'll ever say that to Harry." Ginny scoffs.

"Hello, sweetheart! Breakfast smells awesome." Michael looks at Ginny. "Hi Ginny." Michael amends lamely.

"Howdy." Ginny waves, her mouth full of French toast.

Hermione places Michael a plate of French toast with a pile of whipped cream sitting on top. Hermione looks up at him in his starched blue striped collared shirt and carefully pressed khakis, a black leather belt and new Italian loafers, for a brief moment she wonders why he never dressed up to see her family but does not address her concern for fear of his condescending professor voice.

"Hi Cutie, should I get dressed up too?" she says fiddling with his collar and stroking his cheek.

"It would be a good idea." Michael says leaning down and kissing the top of her head in between words.

Ginny looks at the couple and frowns. "Shouldn't you start to get ready?" Ginny says waving her fork around. "C'mon I'll be your fashion advisor."

The two women head up the stairs gossiping about old friends of theirs, Ginny rifles through Hermione's extensive closet and pulls out the dress that Hermione had worn on Charlie's birthday.

"No." she says quickly.

"Of course! It's perfect!"

"No, it's not."

"C'mon you've only worn it once..." Ginny trailed off. "Oh."

"Yea."

Ginny pulled out another dress and handed to her, it's a shimmering blue fabric that perfectly compliments her complexion, Hermione nods and Ginny hands it to her, smiling and pointing towards the bathroom.

"Take these shoes." Ginny says brandishing a pair of black stiletto heels.

"Summoned them." Ginny replies in response to Hermione's unasked question.

A few minutes later, Hermione comes out of the bathroom wearing the dress and half jacket with the stilettos on.

They walk down the stairs and Hermione says in amazement, how comfortable the stilettos are.

"Hello, Michael!" she says posing at the base of the stairs. Michael smiles at how beautiful she looks, Hermione laughs flirtingly at Michael, blowing him a kiss.

Hermione walks over to the coat rack and pulls on a pea-coat and walks out to the car, for some reason she has to overwhelming feeling that she's driving to her doom.

"Hello Hermione, how are you?" Mrs. Desmond grins and hugs her future daughter-in-law. "Sweetie, I apologize in advance for my mother, she's a..." she says but trails off as a tall perfectly coiffed woman walks into the room, her hair is brown with long gray streaks and cut into a fashionable bob. Her eyes were sharp and a turbulent gray that held no warmth. She was wearing a taupe pantsuit and matching pumps. Everything about her screams: 'Money! Money! Money!' (Or Snob)

"Hermione Granger, please meet my grandmother Eleanor Marie Fairchild. Grandma this is my fiancée and..." Michael pauses. "... Love, Hermione Jean Granger." Michael says.

Hermione holds out her hand politely, Eleanor looks at her, at her hand then pointedly looks away. Hermione, painfully, notes this gesture and tries to fix the awkwardness of it by tucking some of her hair behind her ear.

A second passes "Michael! How are you?" Eleanor says throwing her arms around her grandson. This gesture seems very uncharacteristic, as even Mrs. Desmond, Eleanor's daughter seems surprised.

"Hi Mom." Mrs. Desmond says, hugging her mother. But it is not the same type of hug Eleanor gave to her grandson.

"Eleanor." Mr. Desmond says coldly. Hermione, as an outside observer notes that Eleanor and Mr. Desmond just barely can tolerate each other.

"Oliver." She replies just as coldly.

In a twisted way, Hermione feels completely left out, until in an alarming conversation shift, Eleanor sets her frosty gaze onto Hermione. It feels like the other woman is judging her and for once in a long time Hermione wished that the floor would swallow her whole just to get away from that horribly cold glare.

"Drinks?" Eleanor says. "Laura, Gin Martini?" Eleanor waits for Laura's reaction. Mrs. Desmond nods.

"Scotch, neat." Michael chips in.

"Sounds good, make that two! Ellie." Mr. Desmond says laughs. Mrs. Desmond glares at her husband.

"Hermione? Would you like a drink?"

"Wine?" Hermione says.

"Here's your, wine?" Eleanor says in jest, but the mocking tone in her voice is thinly veiled in the humor.

"So Hermione, what do you do for a job?" Eleanor gets right to heart of the matter.

"I'm a doctor, though I practice mostly in alternative medicine. A healer, if you will." Hermione says using a lot of half-truths, for instance leaving out her schooling, and where she worked, it was slightly easier than lying outright.

"Really? Where? One of my friend's daughters is trying alternative medicines for cancer treatment."

_'Fuck'_ Hermione thinks, improvising she says" Oh, kind of a low key place, Mallory & Smithers." She improvises quickly.

"Excellent, I shall look you up sometime." Hermione is big time panicking in her head. Because obviously there is no Mallory & Smithers, she shoots a panicked glance at Michael, this does not go unnoticed.

"Hermione. Such an unusual name, not heard that much anymore. Hermione. Do you intend to give my grandchildren such freakish names?" Eleanor asks coldly. Even Michael's mother, Laura looks startled by the harshness in her question.

"We-We don't know about kids yet. We're not even married, yet."

Eleanor scoffs, "Well, things happen dear, Michael came before Laura and Oliver's marriage." she says looking at her daughter. "Quite disappointing actually I had hoped that she would look higher than..." she made a gesture towards Oliver. "Such high expectations for Laura and yet she throws it all away."

"Mother!" Laura hisses.

"Are you pregnant, Hermione?" Eleanor asked, turning to Hermione once more.

"No." Hermione answers. She has figured that the shorter replies are better.

"Well, I don't know about you, but I think that all these children having sex outside of Our Lord's heavenly commitment, marriage I mean, is absolutely disgusting." Eleanor says shortly. You know that Eleanor thinks her word is law.

"Mom!" Laura whispers harshly.

Hermione's inquisition is, however, far from over. The questions continue.

"So, Hermione, why did you and my grandson break up in the first place?" The question seemed harmless enough, but venom lurked behind those simple words. Hermione knows that she cannot tell this woman that she is a witch, because that would violate wizarding secrecy laws, and Eleanor would have had her committed.

"Oh, things just didn't work out." Hermione says evasively.

"Well, that couldn't possibly be it; Michael said it was entirely your fault."

"Well, kind of." Hermione says, glaring at Michael.

"Really?" she says through tightened lips.

"Yeah." Hermione drinks her wine. Hermione purposely evades the question. "Not fault, really though."

"So you're saying that you cheated on Michael?" Hermione (very unladylike) spits her wine into her glass in shock.

"WHAT?!" Hermione squeaks in shock. In outrage she continues "frankly, I don't think that's any of your bloody business!"

"So, you cheated on Michael. Did you sleep with anybody else while you were separated?"

"It doesn't matter if I slept with anyone or not! Charlie..." she starts then looks at Michael. "It's none of your business!"

"Charlie? Is he this man that you traded my Michael for?" Hermione stares at her, in horror. "Well, it certainly is what I would expect from a slut like you."

"Excuse me? It's not a crime to have sex, for Christ's sake!"

"HOW DARE YOU?!" Eleanor screams. "It is most certainly a crime! You weren't married!"

"I can't believe I'm taking this! Michael and I weren't dating, I got drunk after HE dumped ME so viciously and had a one night stand, It was MY mistake and I don't care what you think! Besides it's difficult to judge me when your _grandson and I _have also had sex... yeah, that's right, Michael and I had sex OUTSIDE of marriage!"

"You admit it to my face!" Eleanor yells, her face turning red. "Get OUT of my house! You filthy slut! I never want to see you in this house again!"

"Michael..." Hermione turns to see Michael sitting stock still, looking at her through unreadable eyes. "...let's go."

"Go, Hermione. You're just causing more trouble by being here." Michael said angrily.

"You don't deserve to be with my grandson." Eleanor yells.

"Michael?" Hermione asks, helplessly.

"I'll meet you later." he said through clenched teeth.

"GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!" Eleanor was still yelling insults; Laura and Oliver were trying to calm her down to no avail.

"Mother..." Laura begins to try and calm her mother down.

"You're no better than her." Eleanor said coldly to her daughter, Laura was stunned.

Eleanor walked across the room in wide quick steps that Hermione didn't notice until she was so close to Hermione that she could have smacked her. "GET OUT!"

**"Eleanor! SIT THE FUCK DOWN!" Oliver boomed. **

Hermione left the house quickly, not wanting to be in that house any longer, Eleanor's words plagued her as she dashed away from the house and into Michael's car, she cranked the car and slammed on the accelerator into reverse, she had to get out of there, had to go somewhere where she knew she wouldn't be judged.

"My fault?" Hermione said to herself, still outraged with Michael "Mine?!"

She pulled onto the side of the road and clicked on the hazards.

Her thoughts were running in circles and tears were welling up in her eyes, she had no idea what she was going to do, she thought that maybe she had made a mistake by picking Michael over Charlie, maybe this whole thing was just a mistake. It was when the first tear rolled down her cheek that she burst, her chest ached badly from the force of the burst, and tears began streaming down her face in earnest.

"It's not fair, it wasn't my fault."

She needed someone to call and quickly, she needed someone to talk to, someone who wouldn't judge her, still watching the road and crying she pulled out her cell phone and dialed the Ginny's number, someone picked up and Hermione cried harder when she heard Charlie's voice come over the line.

"Hello?"

"Ch-char-Charlie? Can you ge-ge-get Ginny? I n-n-nee-need to talk to her."

"Are you okay, Hermione?"

"Yea, I j-just need to talk to her."

"Ok, hang on a second."

"Hermione?" Ginny's concerned voice came over the phone.

"Ginny, something awful happened."

"Hermione, honey, where are you?"

"Side of the road, somewhere."

"Where?"

"Um, there is a London, 3 km sign right next to my car."

"Alright, I'll try to be right there." Seconds later, a flustered red-haired girl appeared in the car. In fact, she apparated right onto Hermione's lap. Hermione screamed, Ginny screamed. If Hermione hadn't been so upset she would have started laughing at her hysterical reaction.

"Hon, let me drive the car."

"You don't know how to drive!" Hermione moaned hysterically.

"I can learn." And so she did, the car wavering into the wrong side of the road more than a few times. Enough to ensure the thought that Ginny should NEVER learn how to drive, (or drive at all for that matter.)

"Ok, sweetie, we're at my flat, what's wrong?"

A combination between Ginny's frightening driving and the disasterous afternoon with Michael's grandmother plunged Hermione into more hysterics, tears, sniffling, sobbing.

"Michael's grandmother." Hermione started.

"His grandmother?"

"His grandmother is an awful person, horrible, horrible."

"How horrible?" Ginny asks, while handing Hermione tissues.

"Very." Hermione says then the rest of her words are dissolved by sobbing.

A crashing comes from the kitchen.

"CHARLIE! WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU DO TO MY KITCHEN!" Ginny shrieks.

"NOTHING!! JUST A TEA SET." He bellows

"WHICH ONE?" Ginny demands.

"THE ONE MUM GAVE TO YOU FOR YOUR WEDDING PRESENT."

"Ok, THANK YOU!" Then to Hermione she says "I hated that tea set, it was butt ugly"

Hermione giggles a bit, then blinks through her tears to see Charlie standing in the doorway of Ginny's kitchen.

"Are you alright?" Charlie says.

Ginny replies. "She'll be fine, can we have some alone time."

"Ok." Charlie walks off into the kitchen. Where he quietly repairs the teaset. Although performing magic always kept him occupied, he can't help but to overhear Hermione and Ginny's conversation.

"Michael didn't stand up for me. He sat there, letting his grandmother insult me. He didnt say a single goddamned thing to stop it." Hermione whispered. Charlie felt his anger build towards Michael and this bitch of a grandmother.

"That asshole." Ginny says.

"No, I don't know, he was probably just in shock." Hermione says defending him.

"Hermione! why would he be in shock?"

"I may have blurted out about Charlie." Hermione says.

"May have? Or you did, blurt out about Charlie?"

"I did." She confesses.

"What'd you say."

"About our one-night-stand and how when I said I was at your house, I was at Charlie's." Ginny gasps.

"What? You told her about that!?!"

"I didn't mean to!"

"Just like you didn't mean to sleep with me!" Charlie's rage at Michael, has boiled over and he is unconsciously taking it out on Hermione. He stands in the doorway to the kitchen, pissed.

Hermione blinks wildly through her tears. "What?"

Charlie takes her response and gets angrier, he apparates out of the room, angrily.

"What the fuck?" Hermione says, (she's still processing what just happened.)

"Honey, I think I'd better go talk to Charlie now. Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine now, I'm going to come get my car later." Hermione says, collecting her emotions and then apparating.

At her house, Michael is now waiting for her.

"Michael, What the fuck?!? Why did you let Eleanor yell like that?"

"Hermione. you should know that there is no interupting my grandmother. I love her, but she's kind of a bitch."

"No, really?" Hermione says sarcastically.

"Why are you angry at me? I should be angry at you! You cheated on me!"

"Yeah, I cheated, the first time ever in our relationship, and I regret it, so much." She felt her stomach flip over at the last part. The thing was, she didn't actually regret anything. Regret anything about Charlie. And the fact that they weren't even in a relationship at the time, helped a bit.

"Why did you tell your grandmother, I cheated was the reason we broke up."

"Well, it sorted of blurted out. I mean I couldn't tell her the real reason. That you're a witch. She would have had me committed to an asylum. and I didn't say anything. She assumed. and I went along with it." Michael confesses.

"You let her destroy my character. You just sat there. You didn't tell her to stop so we could have it out in private. Instead our personal business has been paraded in front of your father and mother." Hermione screams.

"Sorry. Hermione. I'm sorry."

Hermione stays silent.

"I brought you some ice cream and apple pie."

Hermione's heart thaws toward him and she smiles.

0 0 0 0

Why did she forgive him so easily? In theory she was still pissed, but every time she looked at his crinkly smile or his brown eyes, and she could have melted. She was thinking of this as she perused bridal magazines, looking for the ideal dress for her shape. Hermione was pretty tired, she and Michael had been pretty busy last night, and for the rest of the night Hermione was thinking.

_I think i'm starting to get too old for all-nighters _Hermione thinks to herself. as she leans back into her chair.  
She wakes up and topples out of her chair, Hermione was unaware that she had even fallen asleep until she was woken up, a folded paper airplane bobbed in the air above her. Hermione snatched the pink airplane out of the air and read the note.

_"Hey. department head, what's up? feel like I haven't seen you in ages. meet after work for coffee and various junk food that we will feel guilty for eating later? Emily Garmin, Welcome Witch" _

Hermione laughed, it did indeed seem like a long time since she had seen Emily. She wrote a reply and sent the memo back down to the lobby.

0 0 0 0

Andreea Saguna, one of Romania's esteemed lawyers (of the magical variety), was having several irritating interviews with Charlie's family. Mrs. Weasley held no useful information but wanted to help so desperately she would hover during other interviews and unintentionally poke enormous holes in stories.

In an attempt to get Mrs. Weasley to leave her alone so that she could do effective work. She asked for a repeat interview.

"Molly, what were you doing earlier on the day in question?"

"Well, I had been preparing for Charlie's 27th birthday party. chilling various alcoholic drinks, yelling at my sons Fred and George, preparing several appetizers. Cleaning."

"What did you do when Charlie arrived home?"

"Well he arrived a bit late, so there were already some people here, so i kept the greeting to a minimal, just a loud happy birthday and a hug then I went off to the kitchen because something was burning."

"When do you remember seeing your son next?"

"Probably about 10 minutes later, when some more guests arrived."

"When was this 10 minute interval, about"

"Probably around 7:30 to 7:40."

"Do you remember anything about 10:30 onward."

"Not really." Mrs. Weasley says, shamefully.

"How come?"

"Because I drank too much champagne, and was quite tipsy by 10, and I had probably already passed out by 10:30, which was when the party ended."

"Do you know anybody who could vouch for Charlie from 10 onward?" Andreea asked, barely concealing happiness, this was the most useful information she had gotten from Mrs. Weasley in a while.

"Either my daughter Ginny, my husband, my daughter-in-law Fleur, or" She hesitates "I think Hermione Granger. " Mrs. Weasley says. Mrs. Weasley wrinkled her nose "Excuse me, I think I may have burned dinner beyond repair."

Andreea smiles. With no time wasted, she begins writing out notes to the people Mrs. Weasley mentioned.

* * *

A/N: I actually edited it this time and got most of the tenses right (I think), sorry if I missed any I am only human and not robot. (I should really look into a BETA reader) lols

-credit to my pally TheCountess6680, who gave me some insane ideas for this chapter.

-thank you very much to my reviewers :D love you all!


	16. Chapter 16

A/N: some of this is works with canon and some doesn't, like at this point, Remus and Tonks never died and they have two children Teddy (canon compatible) and Gemma (not compatible) 

Some of this chapter was inspired by the Gilmore Girls episode "I'd Rather Be in Philadelphia" 

Chapter 16 

Something was tapping on the window, a light tapping thatdrew Hermione's attention away from the case file in front ofher to the window of her kitchen where an owl wastapping smartly, with a sigh of frustration she went to the window and let the owl in, picking up the letter it dropped haphazardly on her kitchen table and curling it in her palm. 

000 

Fleur at the same time was cleaning her home, not something many people would have seen her doing but it was the one thing she thrived on to get her through the day, something about it brought a thrill of accomplishment that she knew she could find no where else. More than once since their marriage Bill had insisted that they hire a nanny for Victoire and Fleur return to work, Bill hadexpounded on theopinionthat stuffy house things were boring and she deserved to see more of the world, not just the corners and crevices of Shell Cottage."I am an 'ousewife, it is what I do." Fleur would reply, then she would go tend to her young daughter, who would most likelybe in a fussy mood after a nap. 

Anyway, after finishing the house and tending to her daughter she was sitting in her kitchen, enjoying a warm cup of coffee and a croissant when the letter arrived, it shocked her for a moment but after that she was a flurry of action, dumping the remainder of her coffee into the stainless steel sink and throwing the half eaten croissant into the fridge before waking Victoire and flooing to the Weasley Household. 

000

Arthur Weasley was getting very little work done. Sadly while his body was sitting trapped in this office his mind was away, elsewhere. 

Charlie was in trouble? Real serious trouble, not a letter from Hogwarts saying that he had been slacking off or had received detention from this teacher. For the record, Molly and he had almost never gotten them for Charlie's misbehavior, always for Fred and George, who must have had a file a mile wide with duplicated letters sent home. But not minor Hogwarts trouble, real legal trouble. 

So when his secretary of the department appeared with the scroll, which he unrolled slowly, his arthritic fingers wouldn't allow quick anymore. Arthur read the message and hurried away from work. 

000 

Ginny had been dead tired when she went to bed last night, her brain fried and her body aching she couldn'tdo much more than fall into bed and sleep, she barely noticed theloud tapping that came on her window, barely noticed anything for it would have taken an atom bomb to wake her up. 

000 

Meanwhile, Hermione Granger had untied the letter and had begun to unroll it when the telephone rang, leaving the letter curled in her hand as she picked up the receiver and answered. 

"HERMIONE!"

"Mom?" 

"Oh, honey, thank god you picked up! You're father had a heart attack!" Hermione screamed, throwing the letter. 

"Which hospital is he in?"

Mrs. Granger gave her hysterical daughter the hospital. But first she made her daughter promise she would not apparate in the state of things. Hermione agreed. The two women hung up and Hermione, wasting no time grabbed her barely used cell phone and ran to her car. 

Unfortunately, the letter had been from Andreea about Charlie.. 

000 

Fleur Delacour often had the feeling she was an imposition, an annoyance to the rest of the Weasley kin, but how often was she actually able to help in one way or another. 

She answered the questions diligently and as best she could.

"Bill andI had thoughtI was pregnant at the time of Charlie's party, soI couldn't drink. That much." Fleur chuckles softly. 

"Do you know where Charlie was after 10:30pm?" 

"Non, I do not, my daughter Victoire was kind of fussy so we 'ad to go 'ome. But I do remember seeing Charlie's shoes by the door." 

"But couldn't he have gone barefoot?" 

"Trust me, a dragon reserve is somewhere you always want to wear shoes." Fleur said, knowing full well that she sounded condescending.

Andreea glared, but wrote down what Fleur told her. 

"So, according to you, Charlie was still here when you and your daughterleft. Was Bill still here?"

"Yes, he was very drunk, and thoughI love the man dearly,I didn't want to deal with that. I tucked him up in his childhood room." Fleur says matter-of-factly. "We, Victoire and I went back downstairs to say goodbye to everybody, then we left. 

"Is that all you remember from that night." 

"Bill was very cross thatI had left him behind. The next morning he complained of sleeping badly. He said something about hearing grunts and whispers and other stuff. I said that 'e probably 'ad a fitful sleep, because of his heavy drinking."

"Is that all?" 

"Yes. I do believe that is all." Fleur declares 

"Thank you, this has been very helpful." Andreea smiles. Fleur grins to herself then, gets up to retrieve her daughter from playing with Lupin's children, whom Molly has been baby-sitting. 

Mariella comes into the room, "Hey baby..quot; she says softly, wrapping her arms around Andreea's waist".feels likeI haven't seen you or kissed you in ages."

"You saw meall last night, and we kissed this morning. Sorry babe, this case has been brutal." Andreea grins, a smirk gracing her feature. They kiss for a while, until a knock on the door ends the tryst. 

000 

Mr. Weasley had made it a point in his adult life not to drink too much. He had tired of overdrinking and drunken stupors after he had finished Hogwarts, shortly before his marriage to Molly, in fact. He liked to drink, but not to get drunk, or so very drunk that he couldn't remember a specific event. So, naturally Mr. Weasley remembered most of the details of the night. But he was growing old, memories were beginning to lose details. Some details slipping through his brain like water through a colander. He remembered: Molly's massive chaotic cleaning spells, food prep spells and her mad dash to things manually that couldn't be done with magic. Some guests had arrived far too early, her hysterical greetings.Then, Charlie, birthday boy arrived. His boy's 27th birthday, what a big day! He had enthusiastically hugged Charlie, asked how Romania was, Charlie had replied that it was great, but he could really use a vacation. 

At the smell of food burning in the kitchen, he hurried in, only to be promptly shooed outby Molly. He had no choice but to return to the party. More guests had arrived. George and Fred, with their dates, Alicia Spinnet and possibly, KatieBell. They had been accompanied by Katie's half sister, Moira Spice - a friend of Charlie's in his Hogwarts days. She had a known expertise of Muggle devices. Seeing as she was muggle-born. She worked to figure out how to translate muggle technology to work magically, for the wizarding world. It was a growing business; invest your stocks now. She had joked.Moira and Arthur had discussed everything from computers to those new fangled music players, (which she had to explain many times how they worked) what were they called? Ipids, MM53's. Arthur wasn't sure. 

As to where his son was, the guest of honor, he could not say. He recalled Ginny and Harry, George and Katie, Bill Fleur and Arthur's first granddaughter. He was sure, Charlie had been somewhere; he guessed that Charlie would have most likely been talking to his friends he hadn't seen since finishing Hogwarts. He was acutely aware of singing happy birthday and eating cake. After that, his mind became an empty place. It was ready to be filled with memories. Personally, Arthur was baffled, why was one part of the evening perfectly clear, then suddenly nothing. Andreea was kicking herself (mentally) and annoyed. She was annoyed with Molly Weasley for sending such a useless witness. A pointless interview that got her no further. She faked a smile and thanked Arthur for his participation. 

000 

Ginny Weasley was waking up from a very restful sleep. She was slightly frightened when she opened her eyes and the world was pink. She reached up and rubbed her face. A pink post-it note had been attached to her forehead 

_"Andreea sent a letter, on the kitchen table. I'm at work, love you. Harry" _

Waking up finally she pulled hertired body out of bed and slowly went to the kitchen, she noticedimmediately that a letter was lying on the Island. 

"Dear Ginevra Weasley-Potter 

It has been brought to my attention that you attended Charlie Weasley's birthday party. Charlie Weasley has been accused of several crimes back in Romania, and my goal is to prove that he did not do what he has been accused of.It would be greatly appreciated if you could come and give a witness statement. Thank you for youtime. Andreea Saguna." 

000 

She could concentrate, not when she knew that her father was in danger. Not when it mattered most. Michael wasn't there to hold her hand. _Charlie would have been here. _The traitorous thought broke through her fear and anxiety,it made her angry as well. Where the hell wasMichael? 

000 

Michael Desmond was wiped after teaching two classes in a row. This normally was not hard seeing as he was a fit man, but on a poor night's sleep, he felt rather shitty. 

He managed through student conferences, and then went to his office where he intended to take a nap before his next class. The first thing he noticedwhen he sat down was his wildly blinking answering machine. He pressed play. 

_"Michael, my dad's in the hospital, I'll be home verylate. Ohyeah he'sSt. Joseph's on Becker Street."_

Well, that was worrying. 

_"Hey Michael, it's me. I'm at the hospital. My father had a heart attack. Where are you? I need you." _

On and on went fourteen messages. "Jesus Christ, Hermione." he mutters, finding the whole situation inconvenient. Figuring he should get his ass to the hospital before his next class. Shrugging on his jacket, he hastens to his car. 

000 

"Hello, Andreea." Ginny says warmly. 

"Hello Ginevra." Andreea said. "Let's get started." 

"Alrighty" Ginny smiles. 

"What had you been doing earlier on the day of December 12th." 

"With my husband doing marriage things." Ginny says, embarrassed, to even say that out to a lawyer, which could be used in court or something. "Can we strike that from the records, please?" Even though she was a grown and married woman, it would have mortified her to have her parents hear that in court. 

"Ok, it's irrelevant anyways." Ginny makes a face. She's not sure if she should be offended or not. 

"Well,I got to the party after helping my friend, Hermione Granger get ready for the party. We all arrived in a group; me, Harry, Ron, Lavender and Hermione. We spent some time talking to each other then dispersed to talk to different people. Lavender, to her best friend Parvati Patil. Harry and Ron found Mandy Harrigan a Quidditch player for the Wimsbourne Wasps and a pen pal/ ex-girlfriend of Charlie's. Hermione andI hung out, because at that time she had just been dumped by her boyfriend and was basically a wreck in a pretty party dress." 

Andreeainterrupts, "is Miss Granger available for an interview?" 

"I'm not sure, you'd have to ask her yourself, see her and Charlie are having a bit of thing. She is engaged, though." Andreea looks interested, eager even. 

"Define 'a thing'" Andreea says. 

"Well, it's really not my place to tell." Ginny backtracks. 

"Mrs. Potter! I think that you should share this information so we may find out how key of a witness Miss Granger will end up being." Andreea, in addition to being a lawyer, is dying for the story on Hermione/Charlie. 

"Well." Ginny caves, "Hermione's ex-boyfriend, now current fiancé had broken up with her before the party. She's heartbroken; she's loved this guy since she was a little girl. So she's freaking out. Her self-confidence has plummeted since the breakup. At the party she drinks. She drinks, a lot. So suddenly she disappears, no one could recall where she was.Turnsoutno one could find Charlie either. I go upstairs after the party to go to bed. The next morningI wake up to take a shower andnext thingI know, Hermione is demanding to be let into the bathroom. To my surprise, Hermione and Charlie had sex!" Ginny exclaims with an excited finish. 

"Really,I think it's very important thatI speak to Miss Granger before Charlie's day in court. In two days." Andreea has finally cracked Charlie's case, or at least proved that he didn't release Maya and Jessie to cause havoc and terror upon Slobozia. 

000 

Hermione sits in a hospital waiting room. _Michael where are you?_ She moans leaning into her mother's shoulder. Her father is being x-rayed to see the severity. Hermione and her mother have been told it was probably just angina. 

A fairly handsome male nurse enters the waiting room; "Jen and Hermione Granger?" 

Mother and daughter leap up in tandem. 

"Robert has had a heart attack, it is more serious than we initially thought, and he's being prepped for emergency bypass surgery. 

"Will he be ok?" Jen Granger demands. 

"Yes, it is a rather common surgery, but not without possible complications." 

"Can we see him?" Hermione asks. 

"Not while he is being prepped for surgery, but after." he says. "In the meantime, the coffee is down that hallway." he smiles. 

"Ok, thank you." Jen smiles wanly, she sits back down, once the nurse leaves. 

"Mum, I'm going to call Michael again." 

Once she has reached Michael's voicemail. She leaves a message. "Michael, it's a bypass surgery. I really need you here, please?" 

Hermione wanders, absently to the front desk, near the gift shop. She should call Ginny; she could use her best friend right about now. 

"What do you meanI can't know anything?" a male voice bellows. The voice registers in her head, Michael. 

"I'm sorry sir, but you aren't related to Robert Granger so I'm not able todisclose any information." the secretary says apologetically. 

Hermione has run up to Michael and hugs him tightly. 

"I'm his son in law." Michael says smirking.

"Alright." The secretary says. 

Hermione leads Michael away from the front desk. 

"I was just going to call Ginny, I just called you." 

"How is he?" Michael asks, completely ignoring Hermione's last comment. 

"He's in emergency bypass surgery. Hermione says quietly, sadly. 

"He's going to be alright, he's going to be alright" Michael says, rubbing Hermione's back when he embraces her. 

"I need some coffee" Hermione mumbles. Without further ado, Michael leads her to the cafeteria where he buys 3 coffees, 2 muffins and a donut. 

"Thank you" Hermione says taking a sip of coffee gratefully. She wears a wan smile, but at least she's smiling. She presents the third coffee to her mother who has been aimlessly paging through a magazine. Jen nibbles on a muffin bottom, intermittently sipping coffee. If it wasn't for her worried expression it would seem completely normal. 

Hermione absently stares at a poster on the wall. Michael holds her hand, perhaps in a misguided attempt to comfort her, but the effort goes unnoticed. 

A very short hour later; "Hermione, honey?" Michael waves her back to reality, "I have another class to teach,I have to go." 

"Mikey, please skip it? I need you to be here, andI wouldn't ask if it wasn't important."

"I would love to stay here, but this class has a test today andI need to administer it." He would _love _to stay?What the hell? He sounded more likehe was leaving a party or something.What kind of answer is that? Does he know where he is, Hermione fumes. 

"Michael, please? I'm begging you." she pleaded. 

"Hermione!I can't,I have other responsibilities!" he says using his condescending professor voice. Hermione knows that she has lost, for Michael has already turned his back to her, why was it Michael always made her feel like shit. 

"Hey 'Mione! What's up?" she says brightly, and loudly. Even though she and Harry own a telephone, she has never gotten the proper handle on how to use a phone. (Not yelling into the phone helps). 

"My dad had a heart attack and he's in the hospital." Hermione says to silence on the other end. 

"What hospital! Where?" Ginny says, repeating the news to somebody she's with in the silence before Hermione responds. Hermione gives the name of the hospital. 

"Ok, we'll be there before you know it!"Ginny says loudly andhangs up. 

Hermione barely has time to think "We?" beforethe petite redhead appears infront of her.She attacks Hermione with a hug and then they walk to the waitingroom, when she notices the 2nd redhead with Ginny. Her heart flutters, uncontrollably,Charlie. 

"Hey Charlie." She says calmly, hopefully not betraying her fluttering heart or her guilt. 

Michael, Michael, Michael. She loved him so, but sometimes she wondered did he not love her as much as she loved him. 

Hey Hermione." Charlie says easily, smiling at her in spite of the situation. Hermione then notices a couple of women eyeing him up, a surge of jealousy goes though her. She ignores it, however as a doctor comes out. 

"Mrs. Granger, we've moved your husband into a room. He came through with flying colors, but he's still under anesthesia. He should be awake in about half an hour." 

"Can we see him?" 

"One at a time." Hermione steps back so that her mother canbe led by the doctor to her husband. 

Hermione walks off to the gift shop, Charlie follows. 

"I'll be here if you need me." Ginny says. 

They walk around the gift shop aimlessly, when she sees a mug with the words "hard work killed somebody" she burst into tears, it is something her father loved to say, in contradiction to her mother's "hard work never killed anybody" She holds the mug. 

Charlie folds Hermione into a hug, and she puts the mug down and rests her head on his chest.

"C'mon,I think we should go visit your dad."He says, after a while, and he leads Hermione back to the waiting room. Then they are both led by a nurse to Robert Granger's room. 

Hermione, Charlie, Ginny and Mrs. Granger spend a few hours just talking with Hermione's father, about nothing, about everything. Charlie excuses himself to go use the bathroom. Mr. Granger gives his daughter a funny look, a 'where's Michael?' look. Hermione looked at her father, "He had to leave" she said coldly.

"Hermione! Don't take that tone with me, young lady!" Robert Granger says, sounding like his normal self. 

Charlie arrives back in the room. An awkward silence follows his entrance. "Were you guys talking about me?" Charlie chuckles. 

Before anyone replies, Ginny says "I'm hungry!" Hermione agrees; they wander off to the cafeteria after asking if Jen wanted anything. She declines.

They chatter mindlessly, all the way down to the cafeteria, and then once they have sat down with their meals, they all fall silent simultaneously. 

After they have finished eating, they make their way back up to the room, where the attending nurse tells the trio that Robert has fallen asleep and if they could wait in the waiting room, or come back later. 

Hermione flicks through a magazine, she is barely aware of closing her eyes and falling asleep. 

"Hermione!" Ginny whispers loudly. Hermione jolts awake. She looks around in confusion, then at Charlie's shoulder. Then she looks at her angry fiancé in front of her. Fuck muffin!

"Jesus Christmas! Michael, you scared me." 

"Hermione, we need to talk." 

"How long was I asleep?" Hermione asks, disregarding Michael's question. 

"A while." Charlie says, standing up and stretching. "Well,I think I'll take a walk." 

"Think I'll join you!" Ginny says standing up, and then both Weasley's race for the door. 

"Michael, you wanted to talk to me about something?" 

"Hermione, I want you to know thatI love you, and everything in spite of the fact that you are not normal." It sounded fine and unassuming, but Hermione was confused and a bit offended. 

"Ok, Michael." 

"I don't want you to talk to Charlie anymore." Said Michael, his normally jovial voice was cold. 

"Michael, you can't tell me whoI can and can't see. Last timeI checked I was still of legal age and able to make my own decisions. Charlie's my friend. He's nothing more than that!" The last statementdoesn't feel right.Is it wrong that she would like to have Charlie? What if she really did want him more than she thought?

Oh, fuck, Hermione thinks. She may not love Michael as much as she thinks. 

A/N:new update - sorry about the long wait :D

the curses in this chapter are courtesy of my friend Jen, "Jesus Christmas" and "fuck muffin" yes I know, Jen is weird, but I 3 her anyway. And the courtesy is that she doesn't actually know that I used them, ha-ha 

I know most of you are like "WTF? WHY HASNT HERMIONE LEFT HIM FOR CHARLIE!" and I would totally think that too, except for the fact that i'm trying to be Hermione-like and unless she is very drunk, she doesn't seem the type to make rash/spontaneous decisions does she? Anyway 

Thank you to all my wonder reviewers ! Love you :D 


	17. Chapter 17

* * *

I decided to do something different

I decided to do something different! A few new POVS, Michael's, Jen's, Andreea's. Hope you all like: D sorry for the long wait in-between update. And minor smut, its deffo implied.

Without further ado:

* * *

Chapter 17

Hermione's father was recuperating nicely and all according to schedule, he was being released after four days of observation.

Some things were going away, but for Hermione what wasn't going away was a feeling of nothingness toward Michael. Had it always been like that? Had she really been delusional in feeling something when they kissed?

Because of this, the wedding plans were halfheartedly being planned. Mrs. Granger noticed the enthusiasm draining from her daughter whenever she mentioned a detail about her impending nuptials.

Jen Granger couldn't help but wonder if the red-haired man she had met in the hospital was responsible for Hermione's sudden disinterest in planning her wedding. However, when questioned, Hermione was sure to snap angrily about a stomachache or worry about her father.

At five, Jen left Hermione's house to let her daughter prepare dinner. When she left, she came to the realization that her daughter didn't love Michael. She would have to have a talk with her daughter soon.

Jen partially wished that Hermione would marry Michael and live in comfort. When Michael's grandmother died, he would be coming into a rather large inheritance. She wanted her daughter to be able to work when she wanted, and not have to work her ass off every single day just to make ends meet. The thing was, though that Hermione loved to work. Even when she was a little girl, Hermione could not sit for hours and watch television, she always was helping Jen garden or clean or doing something in the office. It was something that had transferred over to her daughter's adult life. Though Jen didn't understand exactly what Hermione's job was at St. Mungo's, she understood that her daughter's passion for working had lead Hermione to be hired in a higher position over people with many more years experience then her. For that, she couldn't be prouder.

* * *

Hermione was preparing dinner. On one side of the counter she had a knife moving by magic cutting lettuce, carrots then celery. She was stirring a pot full of homemade tomato sauce. A pot of spaghetti sat boiling next to the sauce, it was done cooking. She took the pasta and poured it into a colander. She transferred the lettuce, carrots and celery to a bowl then took the spell off of the knife.

* * *

Michael was late. Where was he? Hermione sat uncomfortably on the couch waiting for Michael to arrive home before she would eat.

No big deal, she wasn't hungry anyway. As she thought this, her stomach grumbled. Finally she decided, she couldn't wait for Michael any longer, she prepared her food and ate it, wondering where Michael was and how lonely she felt, eating alone. After she finished she fell asleep on the couch. Michael woke her up, a couple of hours later with a light peck on her lips. Groggily she sat up, wiping the sleep from her eyes and stared at him as though he were alien, looking past him to the clock she frowned.

"You're late." she said, her voice strained and pitched low.

"I know." he returned on a whisper, taking off his coat and placing it on the coat rack.

"Why are you so late?"

"I had work."

"Until 11?"

"Yes, I was grading papers."

Was he serious? He took until 11 o'clock to grade papers? Somehow she knew it was a lie, maybe it was the way he spoke or the way his eyes glinted, she just knew that he was lying, but what could he possibly be doing so late at night if it wasn't work? And why would he lie to her about it?

"Are you coming to bed?" he asked, already pulling on his tie and unbuttoning the front of his pristine white work shirt.

"Yeah, in a minute." she said, non-committal.

"Okay."

She watched him walk out of the room, wondering what had made her think he was lying. He was a man, and a busy one at that, maybe he was telling the truth and she was just being paranoid but somehow she knew that wasn't the case.

* * *

**Michael** _(Earlier that Afternoon)_

Michael had been grading papers all afternoon, his thoughts plagued with grammatical errors, essays and the usual crap that crossed his desk everyday and he was hopelessly bored with it all, he would much rather be at a bar or home. Michael grimaced, no not home. If he went home he knew that Hermione would be there and he wasn't particularly ready to come home to Hermione's magical nonsense. Sitting back in his chair he stared at the back of the classroom, reclining with his hands resting behind his head, yes, Hermione's magic, something he didn't exactly approve of. Something he would have to tamp down if they were going to have a normal relationship like any other couple.

"Professor?" came a voice from somewhere to his left.

"Ah, Miss..." Michael turned.

"Sheffield." she said with a bright smile.

"Yes, Miss Sheffield, how are you?"

"I'm good, how are you professor?"

Michael looked her up and down covertly, taking in the skin tight straight leg jeans that molded to smooth thighs and muscled calves and a clingy black top that showed a considerable amount of her very ample cleavage, he inwardly smiled in pure male appreciation.

"Good, just grading some papers." he answered.

"How...boring."

"Very." he laughed at her dry tone. "Did you need something, Ms. Sheffield?"

"Amber if you don't mind."

"Amber."

"I was hoping you could help me with my rough draft? I'm not quite sure I have right yet."

Michael noticed immediately that she held nothing in her hand, no paper or any sign that she might even have one, he frowned in confusion but let it go.

"What do you need help with?"

"Anatomy."

Michael raised an eyebrow, fully aware that he had not taught anatomy yet. "Anatomy?"

"Yeah." she smiled in a purely feminine way.

She moved closer to him, swaying her hips slowly back and forth. Michael was having an incredibly difficult time concentrating on what they were talking about, especially since she was now on his desk, sitting quite contently on top of a pile of papers with a very large smile in place. Michael frowned.

"You need help with an essay on anatomy." he repeated.

"Yes, and I was dearly hoping you could help."

"What are you confused about? I think anatomy is pretty straightforward."

"Oh I don't know. The female body is very confusing. I mean there are all these parts like..." she reached up and cupped her breast. "...this."

Michael's breathing stilted and came out on a rough hiss. "Really?" he said, choking on the words.

"Yes. And how this works." Another hand reached down to touch the v of her jeans.

"Um... I don't think you should do that." he closed his eyes and counted to ten, suddenly very uncomfortable.

"Is something wrong, professor?"

"Um...yes...no...I'm not sure."

"Are you hurt?"

"Maybe." his voice was strained.

He could barely breathe, his hands gripping the armrests of his chair as he fought temptation. "Do you need help?"

Her voice was closer that he realized and it startled him so much he nearly fell out of his chair. Surprisingly she had moved from her perch on the desk to shifting her weight and straddling his legs on the chair, pulling him closer and grinning.

"Professor?" she asked, provocative and sexy with cat like eyes.

Instinctively his hands went to her waist, but instead of pushing her away like he should have, he pulled her closer, drowning in the scent of her hair and body, switching from Michael the professor, to Michael the aggressor, throwing caution to the wind and kissing the co-ed firmly on the lips.

* * *

"Do you know what you're being charged with?" Andreea asked Charlie from outside his cell.

"Yes." Charlie says, crankily.

"Did you release the dragons?"

"Andi, we've been over this, I was at my house, with Hermione."

"Are you sure she won't testify?"

"I'm sure she would, but I don't want to get her involved in this."

"Charlie! Why?! You need to, she'll be the reason you aren't sent to jail, or held responsible for the damages of Maya and Jessie." Andreea is frustrated now.

"I know!" Charlie roars, "but I can't she probably doesn't want anything to do with Me." he says, dejectedly.

"If you don't ask her! I will!" Andreea shouts. It is unprofessional to yell at a client, but Andreea is so frustrated. What she doesn't understand is how Charlie would willingly go to jail and owe the Slobozia Reserve thousands of galleons rather than have Hermione say that she was with him, when the crime was committed. Andreea had paperwork to do, and then she was going to send somebody to tell Hermione. Charlie's brother, Ron most likely.

* * *

The next morning, Michael was already gone. He had left a note for Hermione.

"_Went to the gym for a little bit, then back to school for grading papers, won't be home until late. Make sure dinner's ready when I get home, no magic what so ever. Love ya, Michael" _

Jerk, why has Hermione never noticed the fact that Michael takes her for granted and only make sure that she didn't do magic.

She decided that she had to talk to him. Firstly she had to glam up. Her hair was gross and tangled; her pajamas had a large stain on the shirt. And there were dark circles under her eyes, making her way towards the bathroom she settled on taking a nice hot shower to relax and clean up then make something special for Michael while he was at school. Taking a quick shower she soaped up using a special soap she had found in Diagon Alley scented sweetly with jasmine, sandalwood and cloves for an irresistible scent, rinsed and exited the shower. Some twenty minutes later Hermione was dressed in a pair of jeans and a blue striped sweater that dipped low to show a bit of cleavage. She had curled her long hair, so that the curls were soft and bouncy. Naturally, to finish off her look Hermione had applied a light layer of make-up. The next thing she did was the preparation for the impromptu picnic. Grabbing a basket and blanket from the pantry she started packing some cold cut foods, finger foods that would be easy to eat and put away later, throwing in some sweet raspberry tarts and fruit she prepared the basket.

Sure, it was a slightly unconventional time for a picnic, but so-be-it.

She picked up the basket and apparated to Michael's university.

* * *

Andreea had apparated from where Charlie was (a jail cell), to the Burrow, where she planned to ask Ron Weasley to tell Hermione the truth. Andreea had never met Hermione before, but she was sure that Hermione would be a rational, logical person who would testify for Charlie even if she hadn't meant to be in his company in the first place.

She said a customary hello to Mrs. Weasley, who was doing dishes from breakfast. Mariella was sitting at the table eating oatmeal with a bowl of brown sugar next to her. She would periodically dump some more sugar into the oatmeal. This was usually during the parts of Mrs. Weasley speaking that she would pour more sugar into the bowl. She would reply, and then take a spoonful.

"Hey, Andi." Mariella said.

"Hey honey," Andreea replied, "can't talk now. Mrs. Weasley, is Ron home?"

"Yes, he is upstairs sleeping."

"Still?" good god, still? It was 12:45, Andreea, who had been up for hours couldn't understand HOW he was still sleeping.

"Yes... Andi how's Charlie? How's my baby?" Mrs. Weasley demanded.

"He's fine, a bit ornery, and I guess a bit nervous for his trial." Which was today at 1:15. Molly looked relieved at the news of her son, then immediately looked worried at the idea of Charlie's trial.

"Why do you need Ron?" Molly asked after a moment.

"Because I want him to talk to Hermione. To ask her to testify."

"Charlie hasn't done that?"

"No, he's a stubborn bastard." Andreea said without thinking. She turned pink.

"That he is." Mrs. Weasley chuckled. "He's at the top floor, before the attic. Door on the left."

By the time Andreea made it up the stairs, she was gasping for breath, the stairs were steep and she had climbed about four sets. She paused at the top of the stairs, catching her breath, when she caught it; she went and knocked on Ron's door.

She heard a mumbling on the inside of the door; Andreea took that as a "come in" and cautiously entered the bedroom.

"Ron" she tapped the sleeping redhead.

"What?" he muttered sleepily, when he opened his eyes, "BLOODY HELL!"

"Hello, I need you to do your brother a favor."

"Which one." Ron interrupted. "Because if its Percy, tell the git I'm still sleeping."

"No, Charlie." Ron started paying attention at the sound of Charlie's name.

"What do I need to do?" he asked.

"I need you to go talk to Hermione about testifying for Charlie."

"Why hasn't he done that?" Ron asked.

"He's a stubborn git." Andreea replies.

"Well, he is most like mum." Ron chuckles slightly. Andreea laughs. Between the even tempered Mr. Weasley and the wild- tempered Mrs. Weasley, she could definitely see which personality Charlie inherited.

"Alright, will you do it?" Andreea asked.

"Yes, let me get dressed and I will go find Hermione." Ron said.

"Excellent." Andreea smiles and leaves the room to let Ron change.

* * *

Ron, who became an auror after leaving Hogwarts, tracking Hermione was easy. Simply, he went to the ministry which kept meticulous records of apparation (since the war). And Hermione's track was there, burning brightly at the University.

By this time, it was 12:55, and he was in a time cramp as he apparated to the University.

* * *

A/N:

Sorry about the long time between updates: D school and such. And the ideas for this story are bouncing around my brain are distracting from my schoolwork, and as of recently I have needed to do schoolwork. and of course the always impossible fact that I am ADD and easily bored, so if something sparkly goes by I have to look at it. : D and a social life help too. Sorry, hope this and the next chapter (pre-written) will make up for my extended absence.


	18. Chapter 18

Yes i do know it's been a very long time since i updated. i've been bad, and also very busy. you know the drill. :D not mine except for the characters not originally in canon! sorry about the spacing. i cant figure out how to fix it.

* * *

"Mr. Desmond!" A student from the back raised her hand as she called his name. "Mr. Desmond!"  
"Yes, Amber?" There was an edge of irritation in his voice.  
"What exactly would be the point of using Selenium Sulfate in this solution?"  
Michael sighed and explained for what seemed like the fifth time that day, he watched her take patient notes as he continued with his lecture on proper procedure. 'Americans' he thought to himself, noting her more relaxed American accent, after a few moments he stopped his lecture to look at the clock, he had almost 10 more minutes before class ended. The door at the back of the classroom clicked open but Michael ignored it, starting a new lecture on the ingredients they would be using for their experiment.  
"Excuse me." A feminine voice interrupted.  
"Can you wait until…" Michael trailed off as he turned to look at the woman, carrying a picnic basket, who had stepped inside the classroom. "Hermione! Please come in for a moment."

"I don't want to interrupt."

"Nonsense!"  
The class was aghast with confusion and surprise as the brunette had walked to the front of the classroom. All the students were thinking the same thing _'Who the hell was this strange woman? And why was Mr. Desmond allowing her to interrupt class? He never let anyone interrupt class._' One student wolf whistled at her as she walked by in her stonewashed faded Levi's and a striped blue sweater tucked charmingly into them, her hair was curled softly, tamed from the usual frizz that dominated her appearance, Michael thought. Her eyes were dark and beautiful, rimmed in charcoal liner and shadowed in a paler gray, making her brown eyes look more intense. The class was speechless.  
"Class. I would like you to meet my fiancée, Hermione Granger."  
"Granger? Wait…" said a girl, looking confused. "Did you go to school with a Lavender Brown?"  
"Um…." Hermione waited to answer, hesitating "…Yes." she said tentatively. Michael glared at Amber, which Hermione didn't notice.

"She's my cousin. I'm Amber Sheffield." Only some of the class saw, and they were very confused as to why Michael was glaring viciously at Amber.  
"Class? I'm going to let you go early, but I would like you to create a detailed hypothesis using the lab procedure I have given you, 12pt font."  
The class groaned, but they picked up their things and filed out of the classroom leaving Michael and Hermione alone. Hermione felt butterflies in her stomach as she turned to Michael. He was so richly handsome, with wavy brown hair and warm honey eyes that glinted with gold flecks, his mouth was perfectly formed made for kissing, Hermione reached up and ran a finger down the edge of his slim, sculpted jaw. He took her hand and smiled.  
"Should we go?" Hermione asked.  
"Not yet." He said pulling her around the desk in front of him.  
"We don't want to be late!" she said giggling.  
"No, we don't." his lips descended and pressed lightly against hers.  
It wasn't the fact that Michael was kissing her that frightened Hermione, it was the fact that she didn't feel anything in the kiss, all she could think about was Charlie and how his kiss compared to Michael's. It really wasn't fair to Michael. His tongue swept over hers, tracing the trembling edge of her bottom lip.  
"Michael." She whispered.  
"Yes?" His mouth moved to her jaw and swept down.  
"We should go."  
"Uh huh."  
His lips touched the soft pulse point at the base of her throat. Hermione couldn't bear to go on, she pushed Michael away, grinning at him as she did so to try to cover up the ache in her heart where Charlie used to be.  
"We need to go." She said louder.  
"Okay. Okay." He said pulling away.  
Hermione licked her lips and hugged him close for a minute, feeling the warm sinews of his chest pressed against her cheek, his heart beat softly and echoed in her ear, she could remember when she had hugged Charlie this way. She could remember the way his strong, scarred arms had wrapped around her and hugged her close, she didn't like the way Michael was touching her, it just didn't hold the same thrill.  
"C'mon. I'm ready to go."  
"Do you love me?" Hermione suddenly asked.  
"What? Of course. What made you ask me that?"  
"No reason."  
_ 'He didn't say it.' _Her brain cried.  
"Can you say it?"  
"What?"  
"Just say that you love me."  
"Fine. I love you." He sounded exasperated.

_'Well don't make it sound like such a chore.' _She thought to herself.  
Hermione nodded and took the hand that he offered. Michael smiled at her and for some reason it didn't feel like before, his smiles didn't seem so wonderful anymore, they seemed... ordinary. Not like Charlie. _  
'Charlie isn't here, and he isn't coming back. You fucked up, Hermione. You're marrying a man you don't love. With Charlie, you would have had a chance.' _  
"A chance." She whispered to herself. "That's all I want."  
"Did you say something?"  
"Oh, no. Sorry, just talking to myself I suppose."  
They made their up the aisle towards the door, then Michael grasped the handle and opened it with a flourish gesturing for Hermione to exit first then following her out into the hall, enveloping her hand in his. Her hand tingled as they strolled at an unhurried pace down the hall to the parking lot, finally at the end of the hall Michael was pulled away by one of the teachers who desperately needed his opinion, leaving Hermione alone. Not waiting for him to return she walks out onto the icy stoop, wrapping her scarf tightly around her throat and crossing her arms under her breasts.  
_ 'Charlie would never do that.' _She thought to herself.  
"Charlie's not here." She said to herself.  
"Hermione? Hermione!" a voice hissed behind her.  
Hermione turned to see Ron walking down the hallway, looking a little nervous.  
"Ron?! How the hell did you get here?" Once he had stopped in front of her.  
"Bloody cold out here." He started. "I apparated."  
"You what?! Do you know what this is, Ron? It's a muggle school!"  
"Don't worry, I think I apparated into an empty classroom."  
"You think?" she asked, outraged.  
"That's not important right now. Charlie is in jail!"  
"What?" she hissed.  
Alarm bells went off in her head, a strange numb feeling slid through her veins.  
"What happened?"  
"He's been framed. The party... something to do with the night at the party. They're saying that Charlie released some dragons. I can't be sure exactly."  
"Dragons? Why would Charlie release dragons?" She asked, running a hand through her hair.  
Hermione thought hard. "Unless it has something to do with Becky."  
"Becky?"  
"Don't worry about it, I'll look into it toni..."  
"You'll look into what tonight?" Michael's angry voice came from behind her.  
Hermione freezes and looks at Ron who is looking at Michael with blatant hostility in his eyes, she wonders for a brief moment if they came to blows, who would win.  
"Ron, I would like you to meet Michael Desmond."  
"Ah yes, the idiot."  
"Excuse me?" Michael says, disbelief in his eyes. "Who the hell do you think you are?"  
"Michael, this is Ron Weasley, he's my best friend." Ron puffs out his chest.  
"Weasley? As in Charlie Weasley?"  
"What about my brother?"  
"Ron, you need to go." Hermione embraced him in a comforting hug."I'll figure something out."  
"We'll talk later." Ron says, glaring at Michael one more time.  
Once Ron had made his way back into the school Michael turned on her and stared hard, waiting for some kind of explanation, Hermione shrugged and made her down the stairs slowly.  
"Hermione, I demand to know why that bloke was talking to you." The beginnings of his Irish brogue were coming out.  
"It's none of your business!"  
"It is…" Michael began, stomping down the stairs.  
It happened so fast, Hermione didn't even have time to pull out her wand and try and stop it. Michael let out a long scream and fell hard on his back, a horrible crack ensued as he twisted his leg to far to the right and the bone broke and his head hit hard on the concrete.  
"Michael!" she cried and ran over to him.  
His eyes were closed but he was conscious, Hermione cradled his head in her lap, brushing his hair away from his face.  
"Michael! Michael!" she cried.  
His eyes gently fluttered open and looked at her with almost vacant eyes. "Get me to the car."  
"Can you walk?"  
"No, Hermione, I can't walk!" He yelled.  
"You're right, stupid question."  
"Very stupid." He muttered.  
Hermione felt pain in her heart as he said this. "Hey you! Come here and help me!" She shouted.  
The boy that had just been about to get into his car, stopped and looked at Hermione, hesitated for half a second before running over to her and asking how he could help. With authority in her voice she ordered him to grab his leg while to tried to lift him to get him into the car, the boy reacted instantly and did as he was told. 20 minutes passed before they were actually able to get him into the car, Hermione thanked the boy profusely, shook his hand and got into the driver's seat next to Michael.  
"We'll come back tomorrow and pick up your car, ok sweetie?" he said comfortingly.  
"I didn't come by vehicle." She was peering in the rear view mirror. "I came the other way." She said lightly, knowing how touchy he was on the subject of apparating.  
Michael said nothing for a long time.  
"Do you fancy that Ron bloke?" He demanded.  
"No." she said matter-of-factly.  
"You hugged him though."  
"We're friends and nothing else."  
"Didn't look like friends. How long have you been fucking him, Hermione?"  
Hermione looked at Michael with a mix of confusion and hurt. "How could you say…"  
"How long, Hermione?"  
"Ron is my best friend, we went to school together. We went to Hogwarts together." She clarified. "That's it."  
"Stupid, crazy bitch." He muttered. "I think you're making it up."  
"Michael…"  
"You're a liar."  
"I swear to god…."  
"I don't know why I came back, my grandmother was right. You're a slut and bitch and not worth it."  
"If you don't shut up, I swear I will push you out of the car and leave you on the side of the road!"  
"You wouldn't!"  
"Try me." She said, coldly.  
They passed the rest of the time in silence, finally they pulled into the driveway of Michael's flat, they sat there in silence for a long time, each one waiting for the other to speak. Hermione got of the car and opened the door, pulling out her wand.  
"Wingardium…" Hermione began.  
"Don't!" he yelled. "Why are we here? We should be at a hospital."  
"I'm a doctor of sorts."  
"Don't you dare use that stick on me, I won't allow it."  
"Fine. You walk up the stairs."  
Michael seemed to digest this. "Fine."  
Hermione waved the wand and stood Michael up so that he floated a inch off the ground. Once they were in the apartment, there was a strained silence between them, Michael kept looking at Hermione with unreadable eyes, nervously twitching his hands.  
"Hermione?"  
"Yes, Michael." She said in a dull voice, still angry.  
"I'm sorry I said those things in the car. I guess I hit my head harder than I thought."  
"Uh-huh." For some reason this didn't assuage her feelings towards him.  
"Will you forgive me?"  
"Stupid, crazy bitch." He muttered. "I think you're making it up." The memory of the car came back to her. "My grandmother was right…" he said quietly.  
She didn't answer but continued to fix Michael up so that he was comfortable, she placed the broken leg on an ottoman and pulled his pant leg up so that she could see the damage. The bone hadn't broken the skin but made a sickly bump, dark purpled bruises covered the ankle and around where the bone was touching the skin from the inside. She forced herself not the flinch as she moved her hand up the side of his leg to find other breaks, she didn't want to use magic on him if she didn't have to, she knew how touchy he was on the subject. When she was done looking at his leg she moved to look at the back of his head, his hair was slightly matted with crimson blood but it didn't seem to be any serious damage.  
"Michael, I need to do an X-Ray." She pulled her wand out.  
"No! No Magic!"  
"Michael…"  
"No! You can't heal me! Did you see how many people were out there? Two of the tenure professors were out there and saw me!"  
"What do you want me to do then? I don't have my potions or anything to try and heal you anyway, I was just going to do a X-Ray to make sure there was no permanent damage."  
"No!" he yelled, sitting up straight as she sat down next to him. "Are you that stupid?"  
"Excuse me?"  
"I can't be healed with magic, it wouldn't look good."  
"On what?!"  
"To the tenure professors, what are they going to think?"  
"That you heal fast?" she joked. Though, it was no time to joke.  
"Just shut up." He said.  
"I don't…."  
"Don't you know what shut up means!" he yelled, raising his hand and striking her full across the face.  
Hermione was stunned, Michael had never hit her before. With sudden determination she stood up and stared him in the eyes.  
"No, Hermione, I'm sorry, I lost my temper."  
"Michael, I'm leaving."  
"You can't!" he exclaimed.  
"When I walk out that door, I'm not coming back." She said calmly.  
"Don't leave!"  
Hermione walked to the door. But she paused, hand on the doorknob.  
"If you leave me, no one will want you. You're too ugly to attract anyone else. No one will want you." Hermione was hurt and shocked by the sudden verbal abuse, but Michael wasn't finished; "Your lucky to have me, no one else wants you. I could have anybody. Amber even, but I chose you." Michael laughs seriously, then he stops. Hermione is sure that her heart stopped for a second. Michael was having an affair? Though still disbelieving, everything was clicking into place. Then finally she gained some words and spat out.  
"That's where your wrong Michael. I gave up someone who wanted me just the way I was, magic and all, and I walked out on him for you. Why in heaven's name I did, I'll never know. So this…" she bowed. "… is goodbye Michael… forever."  
"Don't leave!" She heard him yell before walking out the apartment and slamming the door.  
Her heart was pounding with elation and Joy.  
_ 'I love Charlie Weasley!' _she thought to herself, then out loud. "I LOVE CHARLIE WEASLEY!"

* * *

A/N: Wooo! Finally! lol. revieww


	19. Chapter 19

Well, omfg, i am finally back with a new chapter! and i bet you all thought i died. nopeee just extremely unmotivated for posting stuff, and being busy - excuses, excuses - well i have given you guys a new chapter. and i just reread the old chapter and i am terribly sorry about the formatting of it,thereally close words were driving me INSANE. thank you for sticking with me and not being brutally bitchy about it. anyway without further ado: CHAPTER 19!!

* * *

After running out of Michael's apartment, Hermione apparated to the ministry courtroom where Charlie's trial was being held, outside stood Harry, Ron, and Molly, worried expressions on their faces as they watched the doors. The court was on recess.

"How's it going in there?" She asked pausing to catch her breath.

"Oh Hermione! It's good that you're here, Charlie's been charged with releasing the dragons in Romania."

" What? When?"

"Just last night."

"No, when did he supposedly release these dragons?"

"That's the strange part, they're saying that he released him the night of his party." Ron interrupted.

"That's not possible." Hermione's voice held an edge of outrage.

"Actually, it is." Harry replied. "There was a good 2 hours unaccounted for."

"When?"

"Just before Midnight." Harry blushed.

"No, that's not possible, Charlie was with…"

"With who?" Molly said, curious.

"Me." Hermione blushed furiously and turned away.

"What do you mean dear?"

"Charlie and I were in his room for those two hours, he couldn't possibly have released anything."

"The whole two hours?"

"Yes, we were…. Having…. Romantic relations."

"You slept with him?" Molly said bluntly, inwardly smiling.

"Uh, yes."

Molly resisted the urge to laugh and jump for joy, her son had found his love after all this time, and she just smiled contently at Hermione and hugged her.

"Charlie's confessing." Ron said finally. "He can't come up with any evidence or suspects."

"He can't confess! He didn't do it!"

"I know, but there's no evidence that he didn't."

A tense silence filled the hallway; no one spoke for a long time. Hermione thoughts were still running and a wave of adrenaline after breaking up with Michael, she easily formulated a plan in her head to save Charlie. She wondered after he sanity, her plan could easily fall through and ruin her chances with Charlie; it wasn't until now that she realized she was completely and utterly in love with. The answer to the state of her sanity would have to be a big fat no, if love was a form of insanity that she would happily admit she was crazy.

"I can't let him take the fall." She said suddenly, pushing the large doors of the courtroom open, her courage faltered for a moment as everyone turned to look at her. "Charlie Weasley is Innocent!" she yelled.

Hermione searched the room for Charlie and found that he was staring at her with a mix of confusion, anger, and amusement.

"And how exactly can you prove this, Miss…."

"Granger. Hermione Granger."

"Miss Granger."

"The night in question Charlie wasn't in Romania at all, he was with me."

"In what context, Ms. Granger?"

"We were having sex."

A collective gasp rose in the room, people whispered back and forth, pointing at her, Charlie's face had gone a delightful shade of crimson and was currently stammering and gaping at the woman who stood in the middle of room. If it hadn't been such a loaded situation Hermione would have chuckled at Charlie's expression.

"Silence!" The man said, still looking at Hermione. "Ms. Granger, do correct me if I'm wrong, but at the time of the crime you and… Mr. Weasley... Were having romantic…. Uh…"

"Yes, we were having sex."

"Do you have any proof?"

Hermione hadn't thought of that. So she improvised: "Actually, yes."

"May we see it?"

"Actually that would be a bit of an impossibility, you'll see it just fine in 9 months." She said, a grin splitting her face.

"Excuse me? What do you mean by that?" A male voice said. A voice Hermione recognized as Cornelius Fudge, former Minister of Magic.

"Good lord, Fudge, she's pregnant, you doof." Caroline Reichs, the new Minister of Magic smirked.

"I'm pregnant." She declared, though she really wasn't.

More whispers. "Charlie?" she began. "Can you forgive me for going back to Michael? I was weak and stupid and I didn't see the real him."

"Hermione, can we talk about…" Charlie started, but Hermione couldn't be derailed from her speech…

"All I saw was the Michael I had known from childhood, I didn't realize how paranoid he was until after today."

"Seriously, Hermione, we should talk about this la…" he tried again.

"The truth of the matter is that, I love you Charlie Weasley! I love you more than anything! I would give everything up just to be with you."

"Well, you don't have to give everything up…"

"Ms. Granger! I will inform you that if you continue this conversation here and now I will be…."

"Can you forgive me, Charlie?"

"Yes, anything, I love you."

"Ms. Granger, please have this conversation later. If you haven't noticed this is a criminal court and you are interrupting. As to this whole predicament I am holding you in contempt until further notice."

Two wizards carried Hermione out of the court and closed the doors but all she could think of was that Charlie loved her! She didn't care the she was being carried down to the jail cells, or that she was being stuffed in a tiny cell for who knows how long, she could care less about all of that, all she could think about was Charlie.

Four hours later, Charlie was released, (declared not guilty) of the detail that he had a very good alibi and then he was being escorted down to where Hermione lay, dreamy eyed and smiling, she barely noticed that Charlie had showed up. The rest of their small group that had accompanied Charlie to Hermione, left. They didn't want to interrupt what was sure to be a private moment, (but they didn't go far - they could still hear the conversation between the lovers) Charlie came close to the bars and watched her for long moments.

"Are you really pregnant?"

"What?" Hermione sat up and looked at him. "Charlie!"

"Are you really pregnant?" he asks again, this time more forcefully.

"No, They asked me for proof and I froze, so I improvised."

"Oh."

"Do you still love me, Charlie?"

"Of course not. I just wanted you to get out of the courtroom." He joked.

Hermione's face fell. "It was joke, Hermione. Yes, I love you."

"What are we going to do?"

"I've always wanted a summer bride, peach colored dress."

"What?"

"Or maybe in the fall, outside, it would gorgeous, all the leaves falling around us as we say our vows and kiss."

"Charlie, what are you saying?"

"Maybe a wedding at Midnight, with a full moon behind us, that would be cool."

"Charlie, are you asking me to marry you?"

"Yes."

Hermione laughed and took Charlie's hand through the bar, pulling him closer until they were nose to nose.

"I can tell you the exact moment I fell in love with you."

"When?" he asked jokingly.

"When I saw you the first time, at the party, your mother yelled at you for some reason and then… you were just there." She bows her head for a moment. "And then you looked at me, such intense eyes, haunted in some way but also open…. I think that's when my heart fell…. Right at your feet." Tears welled up in her eyes.

"Hermione." He whispered the brought her eyes back to his by lifting her chin.

His lips were so close, Hermione raised her head a little and pressed her lips to his, a searching kiss filled with naïve passion. It was Charlie who deepened the kiss, slanting his lips over hers and pushing his tongue between her lips, the kiss was tender and slow, not hot and demanding like that night at the party, but soft and reminiscent.

"I'm not finished with you." Charlie said as he pulled away.

"I would hope not." She replied, dazed.

"I'm going to get you out of here, soon, then we'll plan our wedding."

Hermione didn't say anything, she couldn't believe it. The whole day was unbelievable. She had left one engagement and launched herself straight into another.

"A Wedding!" Molly exclaimed, who had been eavesdropping, couldn't help bursting out.

Charlie sighed. "Yes, mum."

"Oh thank god. I was wondering when you'd get around to it." Mrs. Weasley exclaimed. Charlie laughed.

"I'll be back." Charlie whispered to Hermione as he was dragged away by his mother.

* * *

Well August 2nd 2008 - 2 1/2 (ish) months since an update, i've been VERY bad about updating stuff. but see this thing happens when i write stuff out longhand, it becomes very tedious to type it into a computer. also i've been experimenting with some disney channel fics -hides- (:)  
anyway, be brutally honest and the conclusion to this story will _actually_ be published pretty soon (im thinking a week or two, or maybe tomorrow - you never know with me really - i never know either to be perfectly honest.) haha. anyway please review :D

10/13/08 - 8:03pm EST


	20. Chapter 20

_Lost In This Moment:_ The Wedding / **final chapter y'all !!** :)

Charlie Weasley was finally getting married. Never before had he felt such joy when he thought about it when in the past he had thought of it with dread, and not only was he getting married, but to the woman who had haunted his dreams and plagued his waking moments, the love of his life, Hermione Granger.

_I see your momma and the candles  
and the tears and roses_

Charlie looked down the eyes and saw that not one eye in the church was dry, even Harry was crying a great deal.

_I see your daddy walk his daughter down the aisle  
I feel my knees start to tremble as I tell the preacher  
Don't she look beautiful tonight _

Hermione's father, Robert was walking his only daughter down the aisle in such a loving and elegant manner. He too was quite emotional, as he deposited Hermione off at the alter, gave her a kiss on the cheek then went to sit in the front pew, where her mother was in silent hysterics.

"She looks beautiful." he murmurs to the preacher in an undertone that Hermione does not catch.

Words fly around in a chaotic way in his brain. _'I love you, Hermione.' 'All mine.' 'My wife._

_All the wonderful words in my head I've been thinkin'  
You know I wanna say them all just right  
I lift your veil and angels start singin'  
Such a heavenly sight _

The preacher begins to speak with a deep, gravelly tone that makes everyone pay rapt attention to the wedding. Charlie lifts the veil and he hears angels, she is beautiful brown eyes set off with charcoal eye shadow, her lips carefully glossed with a shiny pink, tears trickle down her cheeks, she makes no move to wipe them, so Charlie does, taking his thumb and gently wiping her tears away. What did he do to deserve this treasure?

"We are gathered here today, in the eyes of God and those around you, to witness Ms. Hermione Granger and Charlie Weasley be bonded together in the state of holy matrimony..." the priest began, raising his hands above their heads.

The priest continued but the couple in front of him only had eyes and ears for each other, nothing outside of this moment could ruin it, nothing could stop them, not even the ending of the world.

"The union of husband and wife in heart, body, and mind is intended by God for their mutual joy; for the help and comfort given one another in prosperity and adversity; and, when it is God's will, for the procreation of children and their nurture in the knowledge and love of the Lord. Therefore marriage is not to be entered into unadvisedly or lightly, but reverently, deliberately, and in accordance with the purposes for which it was instituted by God."  
They're eyes raised to the priest when he began to the vows.

"Do you Charlie Weasley, take Hermione Granger as your lawfully wedded wife? To have and to hold, through richer and poorer, through sickness and in health, through the good and the bad?"

"I do."

"Do you Hermione Granger, take Charlie Weasley to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, through richer and poorer, through sickness and in health, through the good and the bad?"

"I do."

"You may say your vows now."

Charlie closed his eyes and shifted, his shoulders ached with tension but he barely felt it he was so happy, today she belong to him and only him and if a few words were all he needed to bind her to his side forever than so be it.

"Hermione..." he started, staring deep into her eyes. "...from the moment we met we've been at odds and I wouldn't say that our first meeting was very conventional but..." he paused again to take her hand. "...I've realized that there is no one in the world that I would rather marry than you, no one I would rather wake up to every morning or fall asleep with everynight. Hermione, I want you beside me forever and always."

"Now you." the priest whispered to Hermione, her eyes held a thin sheen of tears as she stared at him.

"Charlie, when I met you there was someone else who had held my heart, someone who didn't exactly treat it right, but the more I got to know you the more my heart yearned to be with you. So here I am, giving you my heart, with all its breaks and bruises don't lose it because I want to be with you forever and always as well."

"If anyone objects to this union, speak now or forever hold your peace."

No one spoke up.

"You may now kiss the bride."

_Lost in this moment with you  
I am completely consumed  
My feelings so absolute  
there's no doubt  
Sealing our love with a kiss  
Waiting my whole life for this  
Watching all my dreams come true  
Lost in this moment with you_

"Congratulations." the priest said. "I now pronounce you Man and Wife!"

Cheers went up everywhere; everyone in the church was either crying or cheering for the young couple that had gone through so much.

The newlyweds barely noticed the cheering because were so wrapped up in each other.

_Lost in this moment with you_

_I am completely consumed _

_Lost in this moment with you_

The End.

* * *

Finally the end. and i bet most of you are saying "SHE FINALLY POSTED THE END!" dont worry there is going to be a companion to this charlie and hermione universe i've created. when it will be written and put online is another story because i havent written it yet. Senior year is kicking my ass. and im also kicking myself for procrastinating a trimesters worth of english into thanksgiving vacation. ahhhhh!!

anyway please review. i hope you enjoyed the story and will bear with my horrible update skills and read some of my other stories :D

12/1/08


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